Slave for a Week
by Celestielle
Summary: For Sakura, if there's something worse than always being seen as the ‘perfect girl' when she’s really not, it's being the SLAVE of a man she'd never want to be with: notorious playboy Li Syaoran. Can she survive 7 days with him... without falling in love?
1. Perfect Beginning

**Slave for a Week  
Written by: PinkCelestial**

**Published:** October 15, 2003**  
Last Updated: **September 11, 2006 (edit)

**Disclaimer (APPLIES TO ALL THE CHAPTERS)**  
Card Captor Sakura and its characters belong to CLAMP.But I own my original plot and storyline. Please, guys, rules on intellectual property apply.

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**PRELUDE: Perfect Beginning**

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_Sunday, 8 am_

Oh, God, I want to faint. Please stop sending oxygen to my brain now.

"Please, Sakura? Pretty, pretty, pretty please?" my supposed-to-be best friend since we were literally babies pleaded for the millionth time.

Geez, I could swear she has been doing a lot more puppy-dog-eyes than usual as she threw more 'please, Sakura, pretty, pretty, pretty please'-s in my direction, as if she's going to die soon if I don't answer to her pretty pleases as soon as I possibly can.

But, to add to that, she was wailing, begging, and strangling my shoulders for dear life. Really, she looks so much like a poor little tortured pig—but with amethyst eyes and long, equally amethyst-colored hair.

I shook my head with disgust—so much of it that I'm afraid I'm going to throw up on their elegant sofa anytime soon. I don't know now if she's really my best friend—the one very likely going to be the next Victoria's Secret model, or the next girl to be spotlighted in Vogue, or the new cover girl of some hit international supermodel magazine.

Because—take note—_this_ girl is _wailing_, _begging_, and _strangling_ me. And _this_ girl is supposed to be _the_ Daidouji Tomoyo, a.k.a. the wealthy heiress to one of the fastest growing hotel chains around the world.

She isn't normally like _this_. She's always the older sister type of friend that I know I can always count on. She's always the mature one, and I'm the little sister who kept on bugging her. She's always the shy, demure one, who walks inside a room and automatically makes everyone's heads turn, while I'm the one most likely to make heads turn because I tripped over my own feet or pulled some kind of silly stunt. The real Daidouji Tomoyo definitely isn't like THIS.

But this one special time, she's completely and magically transformed into another person. A wailing, begging, pig-like person. I don't know. Now she reminds me of Paris Hilton. You know, the spoiled heiress type.

Talk about being a _little_ out of character.

Now the real Tomoyo is suddenly gone, and I don't know why! Was she abducted by some scary-looking three-eyed aliens from a faraway galaxy? I'd wish for nothing now but for those freaking creatures to return my best friend to earth.

I threw out a sigh. "No," I declared firmly, gathering all the constancy in my voice to make it sound more forceful, even though I know it can be not, especially in front of someone who knew me for all the twenty years of my life.

Okay. I sounded more like a nervous off-keyed freak. But at least I tried.

And yeah, what more can I do than to sound totally freakish with all the pleading? It makes me seriously consider gobbling down a whole bottle of sleeping pills and just committing suicide rather than doing this whole absurdity for her.

Okay, okay, I know she's my best friend through all the years, but _hello_? Earth to Daidouji-sama! I'm not someone to be suddenly paid—and I do mean the literal meaning of that word—to a complete stranger just because of a childish bet! Do you even see a freaking price tag hanging around my neck?

Tomoyo, oh, must I _strongly_ emphasize this: _the_ Daidouji Tomoyo was looking so miserable down there. Yes, down at the elegantly-carpeted marble floor of their house. Oops, wrong word. I meant _mansion_.

To be specific, the Daidouji Tomoyo was looking so miserable down there at the elegantly-carpeted marble floor of their _sun lounge_. They even call it their _sun-room_. And now that I think of it, I don't even have a proper kitchen back in my rundown apartment.

Anyway, she was almost (just this teeny bit more) kneeling down in front of me, again flashing on of those puppy dog eyes that were ever so irresistible. And yeah, what was she asking me to do, you ask?

First, she had forced me into coming today to her mansion so we could talk about "something very important that could mean her life", those being her exact words. And so, being the supportive, always-right-here-for-you best friend I am, I hauled myself out of the bed (all grumpy because this commotion has interrupted my only peaceful rest day—I mean, it's SUNDAY, okay?) and rushed here, looking all _kaijuu_-like.

But, lo and behold, she had this big smile plastered all over her face while she unceremoniously had one of their thousands of maids serve me a humongous slice of my favorite double-caramel triple-chocolate cake and a glassful of a totally tropical pineapple shake inside this sun-room.

And when I stared at the luscious cake, then at the paper umbrella leaning on the mouth of the glass, and then finally at her with a what-the-hell's-going-on-here look, she suddenly kind of stared down at me, unblinkingly, and hurriedly blurted out about something like not being able to produce a few dollars at the moment, since she has been grounded for ditching five of her bodyguards on a 'romantic' date…

…and that I'm worth _fifty million yen—five hundred thousand dollars_—now.

And I thought I'm supposed to be the poor one here.

"Please? I really need your help!"

"I said _no_, Tomoyo!" I repeated gruffly, my hands now on my hips. "Why am I the unluckiest of all humankind, for heaven's sakes? I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO COOK A DECENT EGG!"

"Don't shout, Sakura. I can hear you well enough. And even though your scrambled eggs always looked a bit like… the Big Bang Theory of the Creation of the Universe—"

"TOMOYO!" I screamed.

"—you're still perfect, you know?"

Don't be such a huge nincompoop, Tomoyo. Perfect? Yeah, right. You call me _perfect_ when no one really knows _everything_ about a total nobody named Kinomoto Sakura?

OK, Tomoyo knows me inside and out. But no one is perfect; didn't she know that or what? For example, just to point out this teensy weensy probably unimportant bit of fact about me:

I'm homeless.

Dad's abroad, with his archeological work, as usual. He's been real busy for a while now, and I do well understand that. What if the… erm… remains of Tutankhamen's cousin's son is suddenly discovered out of the blue and he's not there to help examine it? (Did King Tutankhamen even have a cousin?) I just know that I don't have any right to hold him back from his job…

But Touya's with his beloved wife (he had just married a year ago), touring the world and maybe having honeymoons in every single country they could land their feet on. Ugh. That I can't understand. Yeah, yeah, they're 'terribly in love', and it's totally romantic to be in Paris and see the Eiffel Tower together—but it's ridiculously insane, if you'd ask me.

Because they didn't even leave me _something_ to live on! We live in Tomoeda, but it's too far from here in Tokyo, where I work part-time, so, no matter how I don't really love Tokyo that much, I have to sacrifice and find my own house… or a reasonably-priced apartment, at least. But where in crowded, filthy, and soulless Tokyo would you ever find a NICE apartment—without a 50,000 yen monthly bill and the grouchy landladies?

If only Dad or Touya had been very kind enough to leave some money so I could buy myself my own flat. But they didn't. So I have to live with Tomoyo's fridge for the time being. That means, while everyone is having a set of expensive sushi or healthy servings of sukiyaki with bowlfuls of rice, I'm having the granola bars—but the most delicious ones—at a modern palace.

Just see. I'll afford a nice flat of my own someday. A flat that's just the most adorable thing, preferably with a bay or lake view… with all my books, my own laptop, and some cute pets surrounding me… a nice kitchen… and a sun-lounge!

Someday.

So. With all that, do you still think that's the perfect, worry-free life of someone "perfect"? I tell you, it's _not_. And I'm getting really tired of all this.

I mean, Tomoyo, you've seen me with snot running down my nose back in Elementary. You've seen me totally humiliated in Junior High when I tried to play soccer and ended up broken-nosed because I idiotically tried to block the ball with my face. You've seen me give that salty homemade chocolate to the soccer team captain whom I really, really liked in High School and just ended up, like always, being shown what the difference of salt from sugar is and being humiliated because of my lethal cooking skills.

Oh, have I mentioned that everything I cook KILLS?

And one ultimatum: I'm twenty, my teenage years have left me, and I still do not have a boyfriend.

Argument closed.

"Sakura, I'll do _everything_!" Tomoyo pleaded for probably the trillionth time, sounding like real frantic and desperate—which is really much more unusual for her, all along with all her whining, begging, blah, blah, blah. Go picture that awful scene yourself.

And wait, who in this whole wide world would even want to be a 'slave' of some stranger for one whole week! A slave. Highlight the word **_slave_**, please.

Slave, I mean literal slave—and that's going to be for a _week_! And what in the world should I be doing? Let me ask you this: how many slaves have you been encountering on the twenty-first century, huh? Or should I remind you your History lectures and make you realize that _serfs_—_noun, laborer not allowed to leave the land on which he worked; oppressed person; drudge; slave_—only existed within the Medieval Period?

Jeez. I wasn't that much a History wiz, but I am so going to make Tomoyo browse through her History class notes again and realize that we are now living on a liberal—and totally industrialized—country.

Oh, and speaking of serfdom and slavery and oppression, who would be my master? The one I shall serve and is authorized to give me the pathetic orders, whether I like it or not? The one I should be kicking in the ass but I totally couldn't?

As if Tomoyo suddenly acquired great ESP and used some kind of mental telepathy to read my thoughts, which are supposed to be just mine and mine alone, she quickly jumped up and hastily got a magazine up from the top of her shiny black grand piano, enthusiastically opening it on the centerfold and flashing it in front of my eyes.

I gasped.

A guy, probably only a bit older than me, with unruly chestnut-colored hair that's being messed around more by the breeze and awfully gorgeous amber eyes, stared back at me. Those eyes were mesmeric, and for some reason, they seemed to be holding my gaze and not letting go. He's posing with a golf club in his hands, and he just looks like some kind of prince who came out of a fairytale book.

"I think you might want to agree with this now," Tomoyo said with a proud grin. "Just take a good look on that very _handsome_ face of your soon-to-be master."

"And who… the hell… is that," I tried to say, though I bet it wasn't even _sensible_ to ask.

My eyes roamed over the highly-emphasized words above this two-page picture, comprehending each word one by one:

'_Striking young Chinese entrepreneur emerges from behind the business world to face a million fans kneeling before him, Asia's most wanted bachelor of his generation.'_

I know this guy. I saw him on TV just last Saturday. And that was no ordinary TV appearance. He was on a talk show aired on national TV. And that was no ordinary talk show either; it's Guys Live, by far the most popular Japanese talk show discussing the hottest guys in all of Asia… I know him. I know him. _I know him!_

"Sakura, you are _totally_ kidding, right? Don't tell me you don't know who he is…" Tomoyo eyed me with an odd look, and even if it was perfectly unnecessary now, she pointed to two more words hovering below the page, beside the golf ball the guy was about to hit:

My heart sank. Surges of adrenalin quickly ran through my veins, pumping me to full energy with only one objective: to strangle Daidouji Tomoyo.

Because it perfectly read, as I expected, _Li Syaoran._

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"Aahh-chooo!"

I wrinkled my nose.

Wei, our butler and assistant, looked at me and my 'proper decorum'. But he only said, "Master Xiaolang, I would just like to remind you, just in case you forgot, about the meeting with the Chan Corporation's president at two o'clock, and a conference about the fused business management with the Qing Oil Company's head manager at—"

I furiously shook my head. "Tell all of those presidents and officers and whoever they are that I won't be coming—pronto."

"But—"

"I'm not in the mood to go, and that's it."

Me? Go to one of those boring meetings? When am I in the mood to go? I didn't even want to be this corporation's freaking CEO in the first place! Don't I even have a choice to stay as ordinary as I can? I'm only 24, and believe it, I'm working_ full time_—even on SUNDAYS! And it's not just any ordinary work either. It's _torture_.

"Yes, I understand, Sir," Wei nodded and went out within a second, leaving my new girl, Rei, and me alone inside my office.

Oh, that nothing, it turns out that she isn't someone deserving to be liked… or loved, if that's what you call "the attraction". Neither are all the other Japanese women I've dated. They're all… frustrating. I bet all they want from me are the money and the diamond ring on their finger, which is exactly the thing I still can't imagine myself giving to somebody.

"Got a cold?" she asked with a chuckle.

"No," I said in a reply, deadpan. "Someone must be talking about me."

I shuffled some thick white papers in my hand that I need to submit to Mother by exactly three this afternoon. Kidding aside, in front of me was a big pile of troublesome business papers containing troublesome business matters that are troubling me. Being a corporation's president is huge trouble, to summarize everything.

If sitting all day inside the confinement of plain light blue-painted walls, being surrounded by piles of papers, and staring off to space because of boredom isn't enough trouble for you, then I don't know what's going on inside your damned brain. I never will.

"Syaoran…" Rei whispered, suddenly moving closer. I didn't try to at least hide a grimace. Is this what you call 'finesse'? Sitting on top of my table, pushing away those important documents I was holding, leaning to me while loosening my necktie? What's this, sex in the morning?

Oh, I forgot. Rare are those women who have finesse and elegancy at these times.

Damn, I can smell that obnoxious scent of her perfume. Not my type, so strong and irritating to the nose. You know, those substandard perfumes that can choke and kill you instantly the moment you inhale even a little huff of it.

And I can even clearly see the thick powder smeared all over her face. It's just so horrible. Not a bit natural. Even the dark red lipstick she's wearing. She looks so much like a—what's that called again?—a courtesan. Yeah. Or in simple words, a prostitute. And she's supposed to be the only daughter of Japanese VIP Murasaki.

"Don't disturb me," I spat coldly, getting back the papers, arranging them again. Women… they're all the same thing. They make it a point to always get what they want. And they're annoying—all of them. Why is it that first impressions are always deceiving? I mean, imagine this. You meet some girl, and you think she's pretty. She shyly smiles at you, and then you make friends. Suddenly you find out that "shy" is the very last thing she is.

Now I've realized: Don't ever trust the shy, demure ones.

I don't care if I stay single for the rest of my life. A perfect woman is nonexistent in this world anyways.

"Syaoran, what's wrong…?"

"Would you stop that?" I pushed away those hands that fondled with my hair. That girl's lucky I don't really hurt women—physically, at least—or I would've killed her by now. I hate those girls who always come up with something just to get what they want. "And who told you that you can call me by my first name?"

Rei angrily stood up and flashed me a sullen look before leaving my office without a single word. I smirked back a triumphant grin. Goodbye, idiotic idiot. Pacifying my messed-up hair and fixing to place my tie, I casually stood up my chair and followed her to the door, slamming it shut behind her.

So that's supposed to be the end of us, huh? Oh, no, it's not that devastating; in fact, it's a perfect reason to treat everyone in the office to a big party and celebrate till dawn. Actually, I just met her yesterday at her dad's office. Then in one second she'll hang around, as if she'd be my wife sooner or later. Hah. Big dumb idiot challenging _the_ Li Syaoran. And she thought she could win?

_Rrrrrriiiiiiiiiinnnnnnng!_

Now who the hell is this? Some president or manager of some company again, trying to make me attend some more stupid SUNDAY MEETINGS? I now officially hate Sundays. Why do _I_ have to work on Sundays while everyone gets to sleep in? Life's so unfair. Maybe I should go kill myself.

I pushed the 'answer' button without even looking at the screen. "Hey, whoever you are, I'm busy. So if you've got nothing important to say, shut the hell up and never call me again."

I was too excited to push that 'end call' button when a shrill, deafening voice overpowered Beethoven, whose 5th Symphony I was playing in the CD player. Really. Even if I played heavy metal, I bet that kind of voice could still overwhelm it.

"Li-kuuun!"

"What the—_Daidouji?_"

"Oops. I'm sorry. I mean, I want to say sorry because I can't pay the fifty million bet…"

Ha! I grinned to myself, feeling evil at the same time. "So I get to tell Eriol?"

Aww jeez, who cares? The truth is, bet or no bet, Eriol actually likes Daidouji too, so what's the point of keeping this unquestionable fact of her liking him and him liking her secret between them? If only the two know all about this, then some fifty million yen would be spared.

"No, noo, nooo! I've thought of another solution to this. Listen—Gods, Sakura! Stop it!"

The call was cut off.

Now what _was_ that?

It's silly. I didn't think that she'd be too serious about this whole thing. I know that she's rich, but I didn't know that she's too serious about keeping that thing with Eriol. Really, I would never understand women.

My cell phone rang again, and sighing, I pressed the 'answer' button again, now hoping that there wouldn't be another high-pitched scream, so it would save me a few dollars on buying one of those hearing aids.

"I'm sorry! Sakura tried to wrestle the phone from my hand, and she just won't give up!" Thankfully, there wasn't any high-pitched scream. But I can definitely hear an obviously loud and scandalous shrieking on the other end of the line. "Anyway, the solution. I thought that you might need a personal slave."

Pure silence. And not only in my end of the line, but also in hers.

"What do you mean?" I tried hard to hide my overenthusiastic tone, paying full attention to her now.

"I just thought you might need an assistant. Or something like… a secretary maybe. Oh, whatever. You know what a slave means."

I didn't need an assistant _or_ a secretary. But I do know what a slave means.

"And who's going to be that slave you're talking about?" I just have to ask.

Another round of furious screaming.

"So you have me in speakerphone." And I can safely conclude that the unwilling slave-to-be is responsible for all those yelling. "And apparently, she's not too happy about this."

"Yes, and her name's Sakura," she excitedly replied. "Well, she's kind of reluctant, you know, but no worries."

Sakura. Pretty name.

But if she doesn't want to do it, why did she even let Daidouji phone me? Or, who knows, she might be just another woman who insists on challenging me.

"I don't want her if she doesn't want to anyway. Now if you've got nothing else to suggest, then I think I should just tell Eriol about you liking him. That wouldn't hurt your pocket, considering that you, apparently, are grounded, on account to the bodyguard mess with your date with that ugly—what do you call him again?—'liberated punk'? So I think that's going to be okay. A basketball game lost, your secret lost—"

"You jerk!" Another scream, although not as high pitched, suddenly cut my voice off. I almost stared at the screen, in case I'm talking to someone who got a wrong number—although that's too absurd now, as I heard her add, "Tomoyo didn't do anything wrong! Now get me in as your slave and leave her alone!"

Whoa. That's… uh… smart, considering her great speech and her intelligently-chosen words, which actually rhymed. But no matter how I didn't like this, I found myself suddenly silent. When I found my voice, all I could fire back was a mere, "What was that?" and I found my usually vast vocabulary shrinking to three words with the sound of her flaming voice.

"Didn't you hear me? You're a stupid asshole. You're such a stupid, arrogant asshole. You are a _fucking_ stupid arrogant asshole!"

"_Wha_—Gee, thanks!" I found myself now laughing sarcastically, the other side of the line suddenly filled with shushes and incomprehensible girl language. Now that's two words added to my too-big vocabulary, with an added sarcastic laugh.

Hey, _she_ has a whole lot bigger vocabulary than I do! Imagine the words stupid, arrogant, fucking, and asshole said that much properly and so intelligently, thrice. Did she ever know that her arrangement of words sounds kinda out-of-order?

"Stop joking around, jerk!"

"Okay, _okay_!"

"One okay is enough!"

"_Okay_!"

Hey. Stop right there. What the hell am I doing _following my supposed-to-be slave's orders_? Just so great and incredibly… juicy for the first small talk, huh?

That girl's tough. Or is it just the sound of her voice? Let's just see if she's really like that.

"So, anyhow, as you said, I'd stop joking around. Now for serious business, you could start tomorrow… babe," I almost murmured the last set of words, using my most seductive voice, carefully not letting her hear the excitement that I was having a lot of trouble hiding.

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"DON'T EVER CALL ME 'BABE'!" I shrieked and intentionally ended the call without him even having the one chance to say a totally saccharine 'Bye bye, babe, take care!'. I can't take it. I'm going to work for Li Syaoran. I am so going to be _dead_. Sooner or later, I'm so going to be assassinated by a million girls all around the world. They're going to chase me to the farthest of hell because of me having to be his slave for this whole week.

Not to mention Li Syaoran actually calling me 'babe'.

I REALLY am SO dead.

And to add to that, I just called their dream bachelor, my "master", a "fucking stupid arrogant asshole". Nice one, Sakura. Incredibly great choice of words. Where did you ever get that part of your vocabulary?

And yeah, you've just made yourself the antagonist now, also part-time brave heroine who sacrificed her ever-precious life and time to her best friend, just because best friend needed her and is being picked on by Li Syaoran.

It's just so great.

I just wish I had actually fainted, brought to the emergency room, and confined in the ICU, so Tomoyo would forget about all about this mess.

So now, Kinomoto Sakura would be known forever as one who has once been a slave. Of Li Syaoran. Should I thank Daidouji Tomoyo and tell her how exceedingly _happy_ I am to live my life as hell? I just hope she'd hear _every_ bit of sarcasm in my voice.

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_Monday, 8 am_

Holy crap. Why should time pass so quickly?

I'm here, twenty four hours after the historical telephone conversation with the 'striking young Chinese entrepreneur', sitting on my electrocution chair for half an hour now, waiting for more time to pass and for my master to arrive at my door.

Tomoyo sighed, dropping her hand on my bed, which was full of her stuff. No, my whole apartment room was filled with her stuff. "I told you—don't make a single movement or else I'll either poke your eye or make a mistake. Now look at what you've done!" She tore off some tissue from its pink box and ruthlessly fixed the thick black line under my eyes.

"I don't want to use any makeup!" I cried loud as she reapplied another fresh line of eyeliner under my eye.

"Don't you want to look beautiful for your first day as Li Syaoran's slave?" Tomoyo sweetly asked. I noticed her long eyelashes go up and down along with her 'beautiful eyes and sugary voice' Oscar's award-winning act. And come to think of it, she's so going to make my eyelashes perfectly just like hers.

"For heavens' sake, NO!"

Look beautiful? For Li Syaoran? For goodness's sake, what if he does something to me! The playboy? The bachelor? The rich businessman? I don't care what I would look like in front of him! Anything's good, except those that might, you know, 'heighten up his senses'—Oh, God, I'm going to die.

"I don't believe you. Now stay nice and cool. Final touch." Tomoyo placed her hand inside her little purple purse, as if looking for something. I gasped as she pulled out a small tube of glossy pink lipstick.

Uh-oh.

And here comes the lethal injection. I stood up and backed away from her. "Oh no, you're not going to betray me and offer my life to evil Ms. Lipstick and her wrath, right?"

"Hmm? The perfect girl running away from a small tube of lipstick?" Tomoyo stood up and followed me out my room. "For me, look good please!"

What the hell? Don't I still look like a huge _flirt_ here?

Imagine wearing a blouse with three buttons unbuttoned at the top, which, annoyingly, is showing more cleavage than it's supposed to (I wear sleeveless shirts, but not _plunging necklines_!), a mini-skirt approximately three inches above the knee (I also _do_ wear miniskirts, but not _three inches above the knee_ miniskirts, for goodness's sake), and high-heeled sandals (which is somehow okay, because luckily, Tomoyo forgot to bring her stilettos with her). Oh, plus makeup! What will Li Syaoran think of me now?

"No, I don't want to look good!"

"No, you _should _look good! Don't you know that Li Syaoran had many girlfriends before but never took even a _single_ relationship seriously? Oh, Sakura. Don't you realize that he's _totally_ interested in you? You might hook up with the man of your dreams!"

Hook up with him? FYI, I'm NOT going to end up in his 'list of girls to flirt with and dump after three days', NEVER! And he's not even the man of my dreams!

Kami-sama, I prefer doing all slave-work and shedding all those sweat than being a huge, annoying, reputation-destroying, cleavage-displaying FLIRT!

"Hi, Li-kun!" Tomoyo answered her cell phone that I didn't notice ringing at all. Oh, God, it's the Jerk. "Wait a sec, she's here." She handed me the phone and winked at me with an eye. "It's him. He couldn't seem to stand waiting for another thirty minutes to talk to you."

Oh no. What the heck does he want from me now? I placed the phone over my ear, not saying a word. Pure, blessed silence. "_What_?" I angrily muttered after I realized that this wouldn't be finished soon until I _end_ it sooner.

"Hey," came the familiar low voice. It was just a mere 'hey', but it unmistakably sent the annoying shivers down my spine. His voice felt cool, at the same time very mysterious. And it's scaring me to death.

"_What_?" I repeated.

"You're not going to be late for your first day, right, babe?"

It's still five past eight and he calls this late for my 8:30 schedule with him? Now here's a new motto I think I will definitely like better than the famous one: 'Better never than late'.

"And who are you to call me 'babe'?"

He snickered. "The fucking asshole?"

I almost hurled the cell phone to the floor.

"Wrong answer? Then how about… your _master_?"

I gritted my teeth furiously. This irritating sarcasm is NOT going to get to me, just keep the defenses up, Sakura! That Li Syaoran's clearly good at this. He's going to make me suspect that he graduated with a PhD Sarcasm degree, if only there could be one.

And would I lose?

"And if I don't want to go?"

There was a short pause. "If you don't want to, then I'll personally go inside your room now and pull you from here out to my house if I should have to."

"Go ahead and try if you can."

"You're challenging me?"

"And you're a coward loser?"

"You think there's anything I want that I couldn't get?"

I blinked, looking at my apartment door nervously. So is it suppose to open and reveal that Li Syaoran standing there, holding the cell phone while striding over to me, harshly enjoying his authority and pulling me out of my own apartment?

The knob suddenly turned and, lo and behold, the fucking asshole came in. Great. He's holding his million-dollar cell phone, walking towards me—everything as I had predicted! Really great. Now I'm sure I'm going to apply later as a fortuneteller or a psychic and earn millions and become richer than he is.

Sweet revenge!

Oh, but honestly, he looks kind of cute with that loose shirt and jeans. And simple rubber shoes. And a white Nike cap. Not any form of a rich businessman… corporation president, to be exact. Instead, he looks totally like the guy in the magazine centerfold, only looking more casual and… and…

Oh my God.

Great, I fell for his looks.

I'm very much and thoroughly enjoying this very beautiful and ultimately peaceful Monday morning as I thought I would…

…NOT!

"Now who's a coward loser again?"

I moved back. I noticed his eyes examining every detail of me from toe to head. I moved back further and glared at him. The corners of his lips seemed like twitching; like he was trying not to smile, but he couldn't help it. Probably he's done comprehending about my attire for the day. Just realizing this made my cheeks start heating up fast.

Behind me, I heard Tomoyo heave this satisfied sigh. I think that's because she was relieved that she had at least finished majority of her beauty makeover on time. But I did win the lipstick match, so that's still okay. Barely.

Wait.

Oh, no.

OH MY GOD.

Now I know why he's smiling like that. I look like one of those mall mannequins covered with all of Daidouji Tomoyo's fashion tastes. Or I look exactly like Tomoyo herself. Why hadn't I realized this earlier? God, I want my favorite pair of comfortable jeans back.

"How long have you been there?" I idiotically stammered. "Didn't your mother teach you that eavesdropping is wrong?"

"I was here since I called Daidouji. And in that particular case, it can't be considered eavesdropping. And come to think of it, I didn't even hear anything. So it's not that bad, right, dear Sakura?"

Just a little bit more and I am going to be forced to kill this arrogant pain in the ass. Just a bit more.

"And who in the world told you that you can call me Sakura? I don't remember letting you."

"I'm your master for this whole week." He flashed a silly, million-dollar grin. "It's my choice on what to call you. Now can we go now and discuss your application as my personal slave?"

Still not ready to lose this fight yet, I arched an eyebrow and flashed him my professionally-practiced surly look. "Excuse me, but I didn't _apply_ as your slave, Mr. Li."

Breathe in, breathe out. You are not going to lose this one, Sakura.

Suddenly, I felt two hands pushing my back. "Sakura, you go now with your 'master', okay? I need to go somewhere else." She winked at me and strode towards the door. And she left all those mess inside my room. Not only that, she left me alone with the devil himself.

I very much get the hidden message. TRANSLATION: "You two look so _cute_ together, and I think I should move out of the way so you can go ahead and do whatever you want!"

Where IS my best friend? She's not getting away with this that easily.

"Now it's just the two of us." Li inched forward towards me, and I fell back to the wall. "You will go with me or I'll kiss you right here," my all-so-powerful master threatened.

I can feel the heat creeping to my cheeks as he placed both of his hands on either side of my head, locking me between him and the wall. Now I really think he's enjoying the height difference. I'm five-foot-six, but he's still so much taller than I am. I tried to sink down lower to avoid his eyes, but he just bent his head down so we're both in eye level.

"Now, what do you choose?" he whispered huskily. I could really feel his weight further pushing me towards the wall, and the raspy breathing clearly felt on my jaw is really freaking me out. Call me weird if you want, but suddenly I'm scared of him.

"N-neither."

"That's not in your options…" His lips are slowly closing in, and this time, I can feel myself just about to burst and hyperventilate. I felt the sudden surge of adrenaline through my veins, and quickly found my arms suddenly on his chest, pushing him away with a small shriek.

There was still this distinct blush, and my voice was shaking. "I'd go with you now. But don't you dare forget this: don't you ever do that to me again, understand?"

He smiled, straightening up. "I would have to think about that."

"I know you're my master, but I think that's invasion of privacy, Mr. Li."

"'Mr. Li' makes me feel old. Let me think," he said, with obvious fake pensiveness, intentionally ignoring the main idea of my intelligent statement. Damn this guy. "How about… 'my lord'?"

I flinched. Should I remind this apparently perfectly smart man his History notes and that the term 'my lord' so totally belongs to the Medieval Era, too? Now slavery perfectly matched 'my lord'—and I don't even have a choice about it! Oh, great.

Finally sighing, I flashed him my usual 'you're going to pay for this' look. "Yes, _my lord_."

Li Syaoran is totally going to be dead.

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She's mine.

That came into mind when Sakura silently followed me to my car outside her apartment building. I can explain why she's acting that hesitant, but why so shy, not like how incredibly feisty she acted yesterday?

I almost considered asking her, _Hey, what happened to the 'stupid arrogant fucking asshole'?_

What in the world is so wrong with that miniskirt she's wearing, huh? It really suits her, if you'd ask me. And ditto with that blouse, which she keeps on pulling up almost to her neck.

I bet she thinks she doesn't look nice. Or maybe she thinks she looks too different. _Au contraire_, I think she looks _so_ beautiful.

No, she looks like a princess. Or an angel. Simple but purely elegant, just as I like it. As we men always say, 'Less is more'.

"Drive me to my house, slave," I tried to fake a stern voice, turning to her. Although I know I didn't fully manage what we consider a 'stern voice', she just silently flashed those fierce emerald eyes to me again—those beautiful, innocent emerald eyes that can never fail to charm any guy.

"I don't know where it is, my lord," came the answer in a low voice, the 'my lord' part being emphasized with a very sarcastic tone, just as I thought it would.

I laughed, breaking the dull silence around us. "Of course you don't. Now hop in the front seat."

She was hesitant. How rare of a girl. My common observation (a hundred percent correct and is based on experience) is that every girl doesn't even think twice and hops inside _my_ car, thinking it was already _hers_, and makes herself at home—and I have not even asked her yet to go and come inside.

But not _this_ girl.

"The front seat or a kiss?"

"…Front seat."

Now that was fast. Pretty effective blackmail, huh? Sakura slowly got in within a split second and sat down without any other single sound made.

"Good."

But hell, it was pretty disappointing. I couldn't explain well, but I hated that she avoided me like I have leprosy or something. And I was just aching for a _kiss_. What's wrong with that?

I do believe that I'm not a bad kisser, if _that's_ what she's worrying about.

I went in the driver's seat and started the engine. "Now let me ask you some questions," I began, as we moved along the busy avenue. She remained so still like a fragile Japanese doll, staring ahead without showing any emotions on her face. She still didn't look at me when I asked, "How old are you?"

I thought she'd say, "Mind your own business" or "I'm not going to answer some silly, unimportant question asked by an arrogant fucker" or something, but instead, her lips barely moved with a soft, "Twenty."

Finally she said a word. Keep on going, Xiaolang! Though I bet she only answered because she got tired that I might threaten another kiss, I smiled and stole a short look at her. She was still staring right ahead. "Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked, turning to right into a sharp curve.

As I expected, she seemed taken aback, to the point that one of her eyebrows shot way up. Hey, I was just asking if she'd had any relationship with some other 'liberated punks', just like her best friend. I'm not being too intrusive, am I? "Do you have one?" I repeated.

"No."

She was doing this I-will-only-play-a-one-word-game-with-you-so-back-off act, but yeah, nevertheless, she's so perfect. I slowly leaned to her while waiting for the green light.

Touching her soft lips, I smiled contentedly. Nothing smudged off. No lipstick, but just the natural pink color of her lips. She doesn't even need to wear any lipstick.

"W-_what are you doing_?" Sakura growled and tried to move away, blushing stunning pink.

I chuckled and ran my knuckles on her cheeks. No thick makeup, unlike those heavily-powdered other women. She's just so simple and perfect, unlike some others who tend to think that they are, even if they really aren't.

Sakura should know that she's got everything a girl would want to die for, and yet, emphasizing those facts seem to be not her type of thing to do.

I noticed just how she instinctively pulls her skirt down to her knees and the blouse up to her neck every five seconds. Pretty conservative of her, but I guess it's not too much, as she still has this some kind of 'attractive force' I couldn't help sensing.

"For one whole week, you would stay at my place. I'm going to ask someone to get your things so you can already stay tonight."

She fixed a fuming glare at me, and I couldn't hide a grin when she almost yelled, "Hey, wait! I didn't agree to something like that! Why do I even have to?"

The green light flashed and every car in the avenue roared to life again. I smiled to myself, focusing straight. Wonderful. The Kinomoto Sakura I heard yesterday came back.

"Because you're mine."

Silence.

I shut up quickly as soon as I heard myself unconsciously blurting those three words out. If I could be more absentminded than I am, I would cut my tongue off.

"Says who?"

I grinned. "Says me."

"Right, and who—"

"_Ne parlez pas_…" I interrupted her, lowering my voice down, "…_princesse_."

And she understood me. She _did_ stop talking. I smiled at her as I drove inside the gates of my house. She was obviously entranced; her lips were curved into the shape of a silent O. Even her eyes were glued to the fancy wrought iron gate being opened by four of our guards.

But maybe she didn't understand what I said after all. There weren't any violent reactions with the "princesse_"_, although that is pretty understandable, I must say.

Maybe I should speak a little more French with her.

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you…" I smiled again, holding her gaze. "…You have to stay at my room."


	2. Alter Ego

**DAY 1: Alter Ego**

* * *

Wait a second.

Did I really hear it completely right that my master just _heartlessly_ ordered me to _sleep in his room for seven whole days_? Or I'm just plainly going crazy?

Honestly, I prefer the latter part.

That Li Syaoran is insane. Totally. Every worshipping fan girl of his should know this little something: Li Syaoran is a heartless, slave-driving _demon_. And an idiotic one at that. Doesn't he even realize that with that humongous size of his castle-like mansion, at least twenty guest rooms exist?

THEN WHY DOES HE HAVE TO INSIST ON SQUEEZING ME IN INSIDE THE SAME ROOM AS HIS?

Oh, God. I am _so_ not going to survive seven days with him. I am _so_ going to slowly perish with constant skyrocketing blood pressure.

If there will be a divine moment when I can get my hands on him, the planets shall align, the clouds will part, and an angel will shed one single crystalline tear, which will fall to the Earth like a huge ball of fire; leaving nothing but ashes where once flourished a civilization of peace and harmony; but from the ashes, the seed of a new beginning reaches upwards to the light of the new-mornings sun… And from there shall emerge the new Eden, because Li Syaoran shall be dead.

Aww, just so great. So much for my very unusual and utterly disturbing surge of poetic-ness today. I think I'm going insane. God help me.

Anyway, this pretty much settles it: LI SYAORAN: SPAWN OF SATAN.

"And if you're planning on disobeying your master, _slave_, it's not going to succeed, I assure you," he said, carefully emphasizing the word 'slave' from his whole sentence, as if his high-tech radar-ear had detected my plans on assassinating him.

He casually unfastened his seatbelt, and then I saw the corners of his mouth turn upwards into a sly smirk. "And there's another thing." It turned into a lopsided grin. "I only have one bed."

Flaming now for his irritating indifference, I crossly took off my own seatbelt and shifted my position to face directly at The Jerk, flashing the fiercest angry glare that I could manage; even if I had to really exert all the force I possibly can just to move all facial muscles to form a huge frown.

And instead of going all calm and cool and with poise, which is apparently the best thing a 'proper and elegant young woman' should have done (as Tomoyo could've quoted with her high-pitched scolding tone), I just intelligently went, "Excuse me, Li Syaoran! Who the hell are you to _force_ me to sleep at your room?"

Although he should've been seeing some red flames in my eyes or some kind of demon emerging from them, he just grin never disappeared—that same irritating one that I hated very much the first second I saw his silly-looking, moronic face inside my apartment room, and the one I still hate and probably will hate forever.

"I thought I had already answered that I while ago," he said as-a-matter-of-factly, now facing me fully eye-to-eye too. His face was, infuriatingly, much nearer to mine now, as I can already see that demonic flicker within his amber eyes. "Choose one: the asshole or the master?"

Did he really want to be rushed to the emergency room this absolutely _peaceful_ and very _b-e-a-uuutiful_ morning? I wanted to punch him straight at the face right then and there to see his nose squashed like a totally gross, wrinkled, overripe tomato!

It was too much to handle for such a pitiable, tortured Kinomoto Sakura, who, in the very first place, just wanted to lend some help to her (supposedly) best friend so she can get out of her pathetic mess and live as a free citizen of this country (and probably fly straight to New York or Italy for personal shopping for a new Prada bag—and I am not being sarcastic)!

But it seems like my parasympathetic nervous system is maddeningly going to overcome my will and would decide to calm down all the enraged organs within me. Oh, I believe I entirely remember my Science class from years ago, back in Junior High; in fact, I remember that I'd been getting straight As in Biology, not Fs, which I'd been constantly obtaining for Algebra and Calculus.

And it might be just true, for I realized that my hand is starting to withdraw itself from slapping this incredibly-good-at-sarcasm, rich businessman-turned-magazine-model, "striking young Chinese entrepreneur" that very second.

You are so, _so_ stupid, Sakura.

He chuckled again, and nauseatingly, I can feel that my anger is not affecting him a bit. Not even a little. Calm, cool and composed Li Syaoran is obviously teasing me again, like he just developed this new habit, which, unfortunately, is centered on his new slave. I bet he has found in me another subject to test his sarcasm skills upon.

Just so great. My life is getting worse and worse by the second. What did I do to get _this_?

"Having second thoughts on hitting me? What's with the sudden cold feet?"

"I am NOT having cold feet."

"Then why didn't you hit me?"

I glared at him and huffed, "'Be kind to animals.' Didn't your mother teach you that?"

"So what kind of animal am I, huh?" he asked with a goofy grin, and I almost didn't succeed in suppressing a small giggle.

"A slimy reptile." Like dinosaurs, which doesn't exist anymore. I'll do _anything_ just to make him, and all of his kind, go extinct. Girls deserve gentlemen, not animals.

"What, like an iguana?"

"Exactly. Like an ugly, annoying iguana."

It was then that he started to say nothing. There was this eerie silence all around us. I began to think that he's finally got nothing more to shoot back at me, and that he's accepted defeat. Because he's only staring at me.

Boy, was I ever so wrong.

And he's still staring at me.

"Li, stop that." I scowled at him, pretending that it's not enough to make me back down. It's scaring me enough that I can't say anything more. I'll hate myself even more if I lose in his game now. But I just can't help but think about what's probably going on in his mind, what kind of thoughts are now forming in his head… What he's planning to do.

"What should I stop?" His whisper was low and hoarse. I felt the heat creep up to my cheeks. I forced my eyes to look away. Anywhere, just away from his intense amber eyes, which are utterly responsible for making all of my blood rush to my cheeks.

"You're staring at me, and it scares me." I admitted, still not looking at him. I started to feel the dreadful goose bumps popping out all over my skin and all the hair on my arm and the back of my neck all sticking up. I know it's quite exaggerating to describe it like that, but, God, the _distance_!

He laughed at me again, which made me feel so pathetic and undignified. I don't know how he does that. "You said I'm like an iguana. All iguanas do is to stare at people."

I hate the way he makes jokes when it's not time to make one. I hate the way his eyes make my knees feel all weak. I hate how his voice sounds too low and mysterious, almost spine-chilling.

"That look… gives me the creeps."

"And why does it give you the creeps?"

I didn't answer him. What should I say? That I don't like his gluey stare? That I don't even like his presence like that, especially in absolute stillness? But no word, even a single sound, came out of my mouth, even this time that I really wanted to scream. Oh God, please send someone here! What if he does something to me? How much more suffering should I receive in this living hell?

When I thought that things couldn't get any worse, it does. His body was almost leaning on me, while he supported his arm on the head of my car seat. He's as close as a breath away, so close that I could smell the fresh spicy scent that clung to his skin. And although I know that the other girls would enjoy this, it's not that way for me.

I tried to back away to leave a space between us that I almost didn't realize was already fully leaning against the car door, but he's just closing in on me some more, trapping me with his body and the door. When I could really feel his hot breath on my neck, all my mind could register is the word "escape".

When I wish that Tomoyo is following me with her video camera, she isn't here to just pop out of nowhere and laugh her usual adoring laugh. Why does she have to do this to me? Just one interruption would definitely save me from this playboy!

No luck. No one's coming. Not even one maid or a driver or anyone. It was just the two of us in that big, dark garage. And I'm trapped.

With no choice left, I chose to break the silence myself. I took a breath and finally faced him, and then I heard myself squeak, "Li—"

"If you hated 'my lord' that much," he interrupted me with another of his spine-tingling whispers, "you could just call me Syaoran… okay?"

I turned my head back to the window, never answering him. Me? Calling him 'Syaoran'? I couldn't imagine myself doing that. And no one can possibly make me. And don't he dare to call me 'Sakura' or 'babe' or any other pet name, or I might just kill him.

Yeah, maybe sooner or later, we should all expect in the news all over the world: 'Kinomoto Sakura, 20, murdered the most wanted bachelor, Li Syaoran, billions of girls tracking her down with a big murdering knife in their hands.'

But I don't care. I just do NOT care, especially if I just _happily_ killed my mortal enemy, the person that I hate most in my entire life. _At last._

But I just hope he wouldn't have killed me before I do. You know, killed me by the hideous, endless mocking and fighting. He just couldn't seem to get tired of teasing me. And flirting with me, like what he's doing right now.

Why did I agree to be Li Syaoran's slave, in the first place? What ever happened to my pride? I knew who he was from the start. World-famous playboy. And that's exactly the kind of man I wanted to avoid all my life.

"Sakura…"

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"I told you, don't ever call me by my first name!" Sakura loudly snapped with such a cute grimace.

I couldn't help but smile at that. "Sakura-chi."

"I hate pet names. 'Kinomoto' is fine with me."

I didn't expect that it'll be so hard to tame such an innocent, naïve cherry blossom. I had known that it'll be hard. From the moment that I heard her voice from the phone, I knew. But that's what motivated me more to make her… surrender. The challenge.

But what's the entire _stupid_ reason I took her as my slave, in the first place?

I don't remember. I don't know why. I just got her for no special reason at all. I just liked her the way I heard her voice for the first time. I liked the way she acted when she's with me. I liked the way she argued with me. It was a unique characteristic. She was different. And I wanted to know more about her.

So that's it?

Yep. I think.

I slowly started to cup her chin with my free hand, forcing her to look straight at me. I want to see her eyes; I _need_ to see them. Those brilliant emerald eyes. They were gentle, yet firm. Thoughts of seeing them with a smile on her face came rushing into my mind. I want to see that. Badly.

"Sakura-chi," I insisted. "What if I tell you that if you don't call me by my name right now, I would lose all self-control I've been keeping up and really kiss you?"

I can see her furious, enraged look this close. And I can foremost see the slight quivering of her lips as she obviously couldn't choose what words to reply. It was those soft lips that are making my self-control disappear. God help me.

"I still don't want to call you that name," she declared, and tried to pull away, but I caught her shoulders.

"So that's that…" I only stared at her more. "You're okay if I kiss you."

"Kiss yourself!" she huffed, and then desperately tried to pull away from my arms again. It didn't take much effort to hold her down once more.

"How can I?" I grinned foolishly, trying to twitch my lips as if to kiss myself.

"Idiot!"

And then she laughed.

I couldn't do anything but take in the sight of that. Maybe it was the last time I'll ever see her laugh. All of a sudden, I felt a surge of happiness. The feeling almost surprised me. Her smile alone made my heart beat that fast.

I continued to slowly close the distance of her lips and mine. Truth be told, I wanted to kiss her right from the start. I needed her, though I can always feel the damn hesitating conscience. But this time, I could sense that her scent is intoxicating me. Her cheeks were tainted with an adorable pink flush. Her eyes looked like real emeralds, wide open, staring worriedly at me. Her lips were parted in short breaths of air…

Gods, I'm losing it.

"Li, I told you to… stop that…"

Her voice had no trace of force now. It was so soft, barely audible. It was then that I realized that both of her hands held on tightly to the front of my shirt. Her small hands were almost trembling when she murmured, "_Stop_."

And I did. I don't know if it was my conscience telling me to stop, or if it was how her voice sounded so pleading that I couldn't help it. I just did. Silence came upon us, that no other sound could be heard, except for her deep, raspy breathing.

"_I hate you_," she breathed, almost a faint whisper.

I know… I know.

But this is who I am. Maybe she already has this mental image of me formed inside her head. And no matter how I look at it, she hated that image. She thinks I can't be trusted. That I'm not the type of person who will be sincere to her forever.

How can I ever change that?

_Sakura, if you could just tell me._

Sighing, I sat back on my seat and opened my door. She stayed still and didn't move until I opened her side of the door and offered her a hand.

She only looked at it, never saying anything.

I breathed another exasperated sigh, and then I put on another happy mask. "I'll show you around the house, Sakura-chi." I grinned, going back to the normal master-slave mode that I thought I wouldn't be able to play again.

This made me think that she only sees one side of me. The unforgivable, unlikely-to-be-genuine one.

Gods, Sakura. Do you know what you're doing to me?

She then looked at me as if I'm insane, and disregarded my helping hand, standing up by herself. I moved out of her way as she pushed to get through. "I can get out of your car by myself, thank you."

"Don't forget who the master here is," I smirked, and she didn't say a word. "If you couldn't satisfy my needs, I can always fire you. But then your best friend will be in trouble, right?"

"Fine," she growled. "What should I do now?"

I don't know myself. I'm already satisfied with you being here with me.

But I didn't say that. I pretended to say in a serious voice, "Escort me to my house."

She looked surprised. "Escort you? _Into your own house?_"

I laughed. "Okay, I was just joking. Just follow me inside, better?"

She didn't answer. Loudly, that is. Her lips curved suspiciously, as if irritatingly mumbling something, flashing the same sullen glare I got from her earlier. I'm sure I heard her, even if all came out as a whisper.

"Did you say something, babe?"

"Nothing, my lord," she grumbled with such a cute pout.

"Good girl."

I thought she was going to throw up with that much irritation of me. I can see it very well on her pretty face.

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_"Damn you, Li."_

Those were the words I whispered to myself. I know he heard me, but instead of pointing it out to me, he only smiled gently, as if I never said anything at all.

"Good girl," he had said.

Good girl. _Good girl!_ I thought I would throw up with that. Is he that older than me that he can call me as a 'girl'! How old is he? 50 and can be my dad? I feel like I'm being treated as a five-year old and he's twenty.

I let him walk in front of me, so he couldn't see how much I'm glaring at him, drilling holes into the back of his head from behind. It was a good thing too. That I stayed behind him, I mean. So he couldn't see how I couldn't help my jaw from dropping into the marbled floor of his mansion.

By the time we reached the living room, a huge and extremely _sparkling_ one at that, I had to drag my jaw across the room. The curtains over the big glass windows were extravagantly designed, as if each one of the embroideries sewn on it is worth more than what I can earn for fifty years. There was a whole treasury of antiques from China. There was even a marble statue of an ancient Chinese shogun with his beautiful armor suit.

I felt as if the Li's mansion is a modern palace. More beautiful than the ones seen in the movies!

I looked around further, and my thoughts sank. He saw me inside my apartment room, which is roughly only half of this room. Ugh. Oh well, can't help it, he's the one with the rich family. Look, everywhere he goes, the maids, I think at least thirty, kept on greeting him "master".

Some of them though, the ones whose ages are probably around ours, I don't know if they greet him because of his highness in position, or because they want a smile from the playboy. It sucks.

"First stop, the kitchen." He smiled at me, and then motioned to a black-haired maid, handing her my bags. "Take it upstairs in my room." The maid nodded without any single word and headed straight to the stairs.

I followed him to another room behind what he said was the dining room. "I thought you're probably hungry." He opened the refrigerator and took out two bright red apples. Yum.

No—erase that 'yum'. May that 'yuck'.

"I'm not hungry." _I'm angry,_ I added silently with a false smile.

"You're _hungry_." He corrected me, as if he knows everything about me, and tossed me one apple taking a bite on his own. Yeah, I _am_ hungry, but I just can't eat anything from that guy. What if it has poison or a drug that makes you fall asleep? "I order you to eat right now."

"What if I don't want to?"

"You should."

"I don't want to." I tossed the apple back to him.

I almost thought he was going to force open my mouth and stuff the whole apple in when I resisted. Too bad, he didn't. All he did was let out another laugh. "So if you're not hungry, should we continue to my room and… do some stuff?"

_Stuff?_

Oh God, stop. I'm having inappropriate thoughts. I'm really going insane. Maybe he only meant that we're going to fix my things or something. I am really becoming weird, I don't know myself anymore.

"Fine." I heard my voice squeak.

He tossed me the apple again with a huge grin, and I hesitatingly took a small bite on it.

He then snickered. "So you're hungry after all."

_Ring!_

He let out a pained sigh, and, after giving me a knowing look, he turned his back on me as he answered it. I heard an angry woman's voice, and Li's angry answer too. Minutes of arguing passed, and with a growl, he ended the call and took my hand, pulling me outside the house.

"Where are we going now?"

"Mother just called me up, and damn it, she wants me in the meeting right now," he answered, briskly walking. "I told her I want a day to myself, and now—" he cursed in a whisper as he opened the door to the driver's seat. "Uh, Sakura, get me the long-sleeved shirt and the coat there at the backseat."

Woah. You can't imagine how I was flabbergasted. Now I really looked as a slave. It wasn't a request, but an _order._ It wasn't a 'could you get me my shirt'. Gods, whatever. I opened the door to the backseat and got his clothing, and got in the front with him. He suddenly started to undress, taking off his green shirt.

I covered my eyes with my hands and shrieked without any concern of hurting anyone's ears. Oh my God… _what's this_!

"_Li!_"

"Sorry, sorry!" he apologized, getting the shirt that I accidentally dropped from my lap. I took a peek between my fingers, and there he was, topless! Great that nobody was around, or else we might've been mistaken as… as… Sheesh, I don't want to say it!

I HATE LI SYAORAN!

"Hey, I said I'm sorry! What can I do? I need formal attire!" He left the coat with me and started the engine, rushing out of the garage with an instant eighty kilometers per hour.

I am going to die. What am I doing here? Is he going to kill me? A desire to hold someone's hand came rushing to my head when I felt that he isn't planning on slowing down. But whose hand? It's either I hold _his_ hand or die.

I pick die of course.

90 kph. We're flying. Oh my Lord. I've always hated fast cars. 100 kph.

I looked at him. His face doesn't show any sign of nervousness, unlike mine. Calm and cool businessman stereotype.

Speaking of businessman…

"Aren't you going to do something with your jeans?" I found myself asking him.

He suddenly guffawed. "Why, did you want me to change my pants there, too?" he joked, eyes still focused on the road.

"Oh, shut up. I don't think I'd like that."

He laughed again.

I think it's best to leave him like that. Especially if I'll definitely enjoy myself in that 'formal' meeting. Let's see how he'll look with white long sleeves, black coat, jeans, and the best part of all…

…rubber shoes.

Li Syaoran is going doooown. And I'm enjoying every minute of it.

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It was a little past six in the evening when we returned home.

I mean, to _his_ home. Oh Kami-sama, I'm really losing it. All this laughing is getting into me. I've been laughing the entire day. With all the VIPs, presidents, and other businesspeople in the formal meeting.

As soon as we stepped into the room, all heads turned towards him. Nobody said anything, and I was sure everybody would hear a pin drop. But not until a certain azure-eyed guy started to snicker amusedly, then everyone burst into chuckles.

He said between chortles, "Dude, nice outfit!"

Li only laughed with him. "You think so?" And then, as if nothing happened, he started to talk.

I couldn't stop laughing since then, whenever the thought of him came into my mind.

"So, what do you think about your new fashion style, huh?"

"I think I like it," he replied with his trademark smirk.

I broke into another amused laugh as I held on to the grand stair's railings to keep myself from falling.

"Here's my room," Li stated, turning the knob of a beautifully carved, wooden door on the second floor. "Or rather, _our_ room, Sakura-chi."

I suddenly stopped in silence and glared at him again. "I told you, don't—"

"Don't… what?" he whispered to me seductively, taking my hand and slowly pulling me inside.

"Don't… ever… call… me…"

I didn't have the strength to finish my all-so-short sentence, mesmerized by the beauty of the room. It was as big as the guest-receiving room downstairs. It's even bigger than my apartment room! Decorated with royal green curtains and bed sheets, it was almost like a room of a rich—ultra-rich—prince. It was the room of Li Syaoran, the heir of the Li. One of the richest and most handsome princes in the world.

But _my_ Prince Charming, a playboy?

No, thanks. I didn't plan on becoming a part of his collection of "fair maidens".

"Like _our_ room?" Li asked, gently pushing me to his king-sized bed. Though I resisted, it was a hard thing not to let him push me. I wanted to sit on the bed and discover how soft it is. I had to admit: I always wanted to have a room like this. Oh, Kami-sama.

"No. Not a single thing I like here. Disgusting." I sat straight, but my hands can't help but feel the soft comforter.

I'm such a liar. I love the room. I wish it was mine.

But yes, it's kind of mine right? For one whole week, as Li Syaoran told me, that is. Just so horrible though. If he weren't just the owner of this room, I would gladly accept the invitation and sleep all I can. But knowing that he is, red alert. Danger for one week.

Just then, the bad feeling returned. It still wasn't winter, or at least a few days before winter, but it feels so cold like a snowy night. Under my master's spell, I felt like I couldn't even move a finger or scream. He placed both of his hands on the bed, on either side me. His face was inches from mine.

"What do you want?" I roared. I was blushing too hard that I wouldn't be able to deny it once he notices. I can feel it. The heat in my cheeks was too obvious to even hide.

"What shouldn't I do?" he whispered, and I struggled as he pushed me down on my back. And there he was, smiling again, on top of me. I wanted to get his elbows, which were supporting his weight, off the bed, and throw him to outer space.

His face was right above mine, and I couldn't help but admire his features. I can't deny that he's one hot guy, but I'm not looking on the outside. No, I have not yet seen what's inside of him. I've just seen how he acts normally.

But I know, I know. Behind this façade… I know and I terribly hope there would be the real Li Syaoran. The one I shouldn't hate.

I saw him breathe hard. He took a hand and reached on to my face to smooth back a couple of strands of my bangs that had fallen over one of my eyes. And then he held my eyes once more. Like how his eyes in the magazine did.

"Why do you keep on looking at me like that…?" I whimpered.

Was that whimper from me? I terribly sound like a little abused kitten.

He pressed his forehead into mine, and then closed his eyes.

"Syao… ran?" I heard myself whisper again.

"Sakura…" He then buried his face on hair that was spread just beside my neck, and breathed a soft, "I don't know… I don't know."

Suddenly, I realized: It's not the real him. I mean, _figuratively_. He's hiding some emotions or something from me. I don't know what, but he's acting like a totally different person from the usual Li Syaoran, some total opposite of him. It was a gentle side of him I never saw. It made me wonder if he had a persistent other ego.

Maybe, just maybe, the playboy I had drawn inside my head is really not the real 'him'.

"Well, I thought we should eat dinner now," someone amusingly said, and the two of us turned our heads to the door. "…but I think I disturbed the both of you."


	3. Reluctant Babysitters

**DAY 2: Reluctant Babysitters**

* * *

"GET OFF ME, YOU PERVERTED FREAK!"

"OKAY, OKAY, NO NEED TO YELL ON MY EARS!"

An azure-haired guy was standing casually beside the doorframe, an amused look playing on his equally-navy blue eyes as Syaoran and Sakura both struggled to untangle their bodies from each other.

He was probably as tall as Syaoran, well-built, and, needless to say, his eyeglasses perfectly highlighted his bright-colored eyes. Sakura concluded that it suited him perfectly, if truth be told. His hair is messy like his, too, but surely it wasn't as unruly.

"Hey." He leaned on one side of the door, his hands inside his pockets, toying with his keys that jingle with his hands. "Okay dude, 'fess up. Did I really interrupt something here or do I just need to buy myself a new pair of glasses?"

Syaoran grinned from ear to ear like an enthusiastic little boy who just got his hands on his newly-bought toy robot. He nonchalantly placed an arm around Sakura's shoulders. "Sadly, nope. But it's just getting to it."

Sakura quickly seized the big hand off and disgustedly pushed it away. Satisfied, she was pretty sure she applied more force than usual so he would be clearly informed that with one more ounce of strength, his hand would most probably be torn off from his arm.

"Yep, it's just getting to it." She smiled sweetly at Syaoran. She shrugged afterwards, offering a friendly look at the blue-eyed boy. "Your glasses are perfect," she added, intending two different meanings at the same time.

"Told ya!" Syaoran beamed, placing his arm on top of Sakura's shoulders again, this time pulling her much nearer to him. "Sakura-chi's just too adorable, I can't help it."

Feeling the heat his warm body offered her, Sakura couldn't believe that she almost didn't want to take that arm off. Luckily, she got her tongue back before anything wrong can be done. "Oh yeah. In fact, I was just about to _kill_ him when you got in." She glared at the man beside her. "Oh _honey_, I thought you locked the door! That way, we—I mean, _I_ would never be disturbed in killing you." She smiled all-so-sweetly again that Syaoran's heart would definitely melt—but fangs quickly replaced the sugary smile. If there would be blood dripping from them, she would be easily mistaken as a bloodthirsty vampire.

But the slayer (a.k.a. player) Syaoran ignored her and simply pulled out his stake that usually conquers in killing the big bad vampire—his silly smile that always makes Sakura's blood pressure skyrocket a hundred times than usual that _poof,_ she could dissolve into dust right then and there.

"Hon," he smiled at her with half innocence, half impishness. "I'm sure I locked the door. Eriol, how did you open that damn door?"

Hiiragizawa Eriol shot an 'isn't it obvious!' look and jingled the keys inside his pocket louder. "Oooh, someone's lost his head over someone…" he faked a childish tone, receiving a cute scowl from Sakura. He then grinned back and lifted up the sleeves of his black sweatshirt from his wrist, taking a short glance at his watch. "Anyway, I think you two are both too busy to notice that it's already 6:54, so if you don't want to be late for dinner, better arrange yourselves and go down in six minutes. The elders are already here."

"OK," Syaoran replied, running his hand through his messy hair, never fixing it, like usual. With his casual shirt and jeans, he looked like a typical ordinary guy—nothing like a rich and powerful member of the Li clan, Sakura decided. And he isn't fully that serious and boring, as the classic businessman would always be, after all that happened that day.

She exhaled with such relief as he finally stood up and created distance between them. She was afraid that if he didn't move away from her, she'd enjoy it and never move away either. "We'll be there in a minute," Syaoran called from the other side of the room while getting a fresh blue shirt. "We're just going to fix these clothes."

"Better be. And as for you, Sakura," Eriol shot an amused look at her, "be sure you have your panties on before going down, okay?" he teased.

Syaoran snickered with him and continued to arrange Sakura's things inside the closet. "Uhm, I think I have them right here, though…" He goofily held up a pair of Sakura's underwear taken from her bag.

"Hmmm… white…" Eriol pretended to consider.

She blushed furiously. What in the world are they doing, talking about her UNDERWEAR? She stomped her way towards Syaoran and then grabbed the poor thing from his hand. "Both of you back off, OK?"

"Now don't be shy."

"Shy? Pfssh."

"Now you hormonally-enraged people, just continue that later," Eriol laughed at the two, turning back. "You have all night. And we still have a dinner to enjoy."

"Yeah." Sakura still glared at Syaoran. "And no panties to talk about."

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"Is this the whole Li clan here?" Sakura complained softly with a grimace, mentally scanning the fancy dining room of the Lis. She nervously eyed almost thirty people settling down their seats around the long wooden table, which was ceremoniously decorated with candles in between the lavishly served meals.

"Do I have to shake all of their hands for a formal introduction?" she joked, but found that she couldn't even laugh at herself. The surroundings were no appropriate place for a joke, she concluded with a tense sigh.

"No, not really," Syaoran responded and guided her towards the table. "Don't worry, I'm with you," he added in a whisper, which made Sakura heat up despite everything. It was no place for a joke AND for flirting, she needed to remind them both.

Sakura's frown grew bigger as she scanned the place once more, this time in detail. There were four old gentlemen, with the long, native Chinese braid and a really long beard. There were women and men in about their forties or fifties—hell, they looked scary. There were also some who are about twenty or so (and she could spot a real cutie among the crowd), and little children who were still running around, but were caught by their parents eventually.

There's one thing common with all of them: They're almost too serious-looking and businesslike, no matter what generation they're in. Oh, with the exception of the children, that is. But that didn't help a bit. She almost wanted to faint again when she thought about introducing herself in front of all those scary-looking people.

"I wish your family didn't have these dinners… Geez, I can feel their eyes on me!"

"Don't panic. I hate these dinners too." Syaoran laughed and expertly rubbed the nape of her neck and down to her tense shoulder muscles with both of his hands. "And I said I'm with you."

Sakura shook the thought into the back of her head again. That whisper was almost creepy.

"Xiaolang."

Sakura turned to the other end at the far left, where she heard the almost-perfect voice of an elegant woman who was probably in her late forties. She had long dark hair and perfect flawless skin, and _what the heck_, Sakura thought, _she looked so much like a princess_—she looked too serene, as if she's all into silence and peacefulness.

With the sound of that woman's voice, all heads quickly turned to Syaoran, who was about to sit down himself.

"Yes, Ma?"

_So she's the mom_, the thought occurred to her. Wherever did that Li jerk get his annoying attitude, she didn't know. The princess-like woman was too kind to be the origin of Li Syaoran's not-too-kind genes.

"I believe you were out for the day." She was smiling in a gentle way, as a mother would when she talks with her child. Syaoran smiled back at her as he sat down his own special seat at the very end part of the table opposite his mother. "I see that you had a great time."

Sakura quickly flushed at this, and she found herself looking shyly at her feet.

"Of course I did," Syaoran said in reply. She could feel his eyes on her.

"Anyway." The woman's tone of voice changed. Just a slight change, but its mysterious intensity is shocking Sakura all the more than the whole scene. "Who is this beautiful girl?"

Silenced enveloped the whole room as if time had been stopped by powerful magic. The room seemed to swirl fast for Sakura, and some dizziness came up with an accompanied pain in her head. Her knees threatened to buckle as she weakly tried to stand up straight. But all eyes stared at her so questioningly—all eyes of the Lis—that her voice seems to get stuck in her throat.

She gulped nervously. "Uhm… I-I'm—"

Syaoran tried to cut her off as he stood up again. "She's my—"

Another voice cut him off instead, "Girlfriend?"

Sakura turned to Syaoran's nearest right side, to the amused male voice. There was the panty-talking Hiiragizawa Eriol again, grinning evilly like a wicked fox even though he doesn't really look like one. "Am I not right, cuz?"

"NOT!" Sakura contradicted.

After a short pause, Syaoran nodded with agreement. "Yes."

There. In one word of the son of the Li, everyone was staring at and eyeing Sakura once again with seemingly utter surprise at his mention of just one very short word.

_Hell, no! I'm not his girlfriend!_ Sakura's mind screamed with pure angst and furiousness, but her voice seems powerless that her mouth can't even move at her will. She sighed in defeat and shot a heated glare at Syaoran, who was again in the 'what can I do!' mode.

"_Ojouchan, anata no namae wa_…?"

Sakura's lips were rounded in a wide O with admiration with what Syaoran's mother spoke. _The Chinese lady can speak Japanese!_ She thought happily after repeating the sentence over and over her mind. _The Chinese lady asked for my name in Japanese!_ "Kinomoto Sakura _desu_, Li-san." She answered politely with a small bow of the head.

"You can call me Yelan, dear girl. You can sit there in front of Eriol beside Xiaolang. And welcome to the Li family's dinner." She smiled approvingly.

"Thank you." Sakura pulled out the chair and sat down in the same time with Syaoran, exactly the second when Syaoran's mother announced the start of dinner.

Just then, everything and everyone was still and quiet. No single word was spoken, and the only sound one can hear is the sound of the utensils and the plates. Oh, and Sakura's nervous, raspy breathing, too. Even the children are dead silent. If there would be just some candles to light the whole place, it'll be a sacred ceremony.

A sacred eating ceremony.

Sakura silently giggled and began to eat.

So far, the dinner's been great. And peaceful. She happily chewed down the steak in her plate, gobbled down every single bit of food served to her. Luscious chicken, steak, vegetable salad, crabmeat, and every Chinese food you can imagine are present in the long table. If only Sakura could stand up and get from every plate, she would.

Well, she was happily eating and drooling over the huge amount of food, but not until she felt a tug on the beige-colored table napkin she had spread on her lap.

"Hoe?"

Then yet another stronger pull was made. _Probably just my imagination._ She shrugged with the thought and continued on eating.

But she felt another strong jerk. No, not the imagination. It was real. Curiosity overcame her, and Sakura inquisitively and slowly bent down.

"Boooo!"

"Hoooeeee!"

BANG!

"Nyah nyah! I hate Sa…ku! Sha…ku…wa!"

"Hoooeeee!"

"Sakura!" Syaoran worriedly ran to Sakura's side and helped her sit up. Her chair had heavily fallen back after a small girl of about five, with braided raven hair, jumped onto her from under the table. Sakura immediately stood up, rubbing her head with a hand as she noticed the complicated stares of the whole Li.

"I'm so sorry!"

Syaoran stood up protectively with her. "_Dui bu qi_, Ma. Sakura didn't mean it, Mei Xin—"

"Xiaolang! Sakura-san! Sit down and continue eating! Xiaolang, didn't you tell her?"

Syaoran looked down and remained silent. His mom didn't say anything too.

Minutes of sweating and nervous breathing passed. Sakura was still rubbing her aching head, which she had smacked hard on the floor. The girl who surprised her was gone from under the table. She searched with her eyes and never found her.

After several more minutes of the tiring erect posture, everyone was finished eating. Everyone stood up and quietly left the room, except Syaoran and Sakura. And Yelan.

"Sakura-san, I supposed we should talk about what happened," Li Yelan said calmly, getting Sakura's hand and leading her out to the hallway with Syaoran. "I suppose my son hasn't told you this yet, but we have some rules here in our house."

Sakura nodded solemnly to match the equally formal tone.

"One of those rules is to respect the food. No other unnecessary sounds and unimportant talking, especially commotions while eating."

"Ma, she didn't know all of those—"

She ignored him and continued. "Everyone has experienced this, Sakura. Punishment awaits," Yelan stated in a low voice. "But before that, Xiaolang, do you have anything else to say?"

"Ma, I saw everything. Mei Xin—she jumped out from under the table onto Sakura. That's why she fell. Sakura's not to be blamed." Syaoran was for the very first time being dead serious about something. His amber eyes burned with determination, and Sakura didn't exactly understand why.

"Okay. I understand," Yelan finally agreed with a nod. "But since this still happened, and Sakura-san is still no exception, the punishment continues."

"I accept it." Sakura smiled.

Yelan nodded. "Sakura-san, you will baby-sit Mei Xin for the whole day tomorrow."

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"Now I have to be a babysitter for naughty little Mei Xin tomorrow!" Sakura complained when she reached the warm couch inside Syaoran's room. She had been frowning, and it did nothing to conserve some much needed energy.

Sitting down, she pulled off the white-and-pink ribbon that held her hair in place. Her layered hair tediously fell down on her slumping shoulders; short bangs fell just on the sides of her forehead, accentuating the color of her eyes that looks brighter with her hair color.

"I'm so tired… my back hurts… I wanna sleep…" Her exhausted emerald eyes threatened to close as she slouched on the couch and stretched her legs out. "I can't believe I'm already sleepy at just 9 o'clock… I haven't even showered…! I think I'll fall asleep just here…"

"No, not yet, baby…"

She made tiny mumbles that cannot even be understood clearly. "'M… tired… lemme… sleeeep…"

"You should change your clothes. You can't possibly sleep comfortably with that…" Syaoran whispered, taking off his own shirt.

"Shut… up… Wanna… sleep…"

"If you don't change by yourself, I'll do it," Syaoran whispered more firmly, walking over to her life-and-energy-less body drooped on the couch and kneeling down beside her feet.

"…"

"I'll take that as a yes…" he trailed off, slowly and carefully unbuttoning the rest of the buttons in Sakura's blouse. He remained silent as he felt the touch of his fingers against her bare skin.

And against his usually-correct reasoning, he was lost.

Sakura's eyes were peacefully closed. Her pink lips were partly open, and he found them so tempting. He even found it hard to rethink about the situation—the world suddenly seems to be perfect. He listened to her light breathing, while he gently slipped the blouse from her shoulders. Slowly, he neared her lips.

He was about to remove the clothing from her arms when the emerald-eyed came back to life, her eyes wide. "WHAT… THE… HELL… ARE YOU DOIIING?"

Syaoran almost jumped back with surprise. He sighed as he regained composure. "Well, I'm changing your clothes for you. Seems you've come back to life again, huh?"

Sakura's eyes flared with anger, gasping for breath, as the red color crept to her cheeks fast. "Who the hell told you to undress me, Li!"

"You did."

"I did NOT."

"Did too."

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did."

"I did NOT!"

"Fine, whatever you say. Now suit yourself and change quickly. And get to sleep. You have Mei Xin to baby-sit tomorrow." Syaoran walked off to a corner of the room with a cotton white shirt and shorts in his hands. "I'm going to change, so don't peek, okay?"

"Me? Yuck. Better tell yourself not to go to the bathroom as I change, jerk." Sakura meanwhile headed to the bathroom, carrying her own clothes. She opened the door and stepped inside, and before shutting it close, flashed a glare to Syaoran, who was already finished changing.

"Straight to the bed afterwards, 'kay? Night night!"

Sakura rolled her eyes with the sweetness in his voice.

Minutes later, she stepped out, wearing purple pajamas with a matching top, her hair still hanging loose. Syaoran was already asleep at the couch beside the bed, a big blanket up just to his stomach. He was breathing lightly in a steady rhythm, more like a little kid.

_So he let me have the whole bed…_ Sakura thought, walking to him. "Silly." She gently pulled the blanket securely to his chin and smiled.

She decided to just quietly lie down on the bed, then pulled the soft covers to cover her shoulders, and closed her eyes tight…

…as Syaoran opened one eye, taking one good look at her sleeping figure. He smiled to himself, having purely satisfied although a bit regretful, and finally slept.

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_Tuesday, 7:45 am_

"Xiaolang… wake up… Xiaolaaaang!"

"Whoooaaaa! Mei Xin!"

KABLAG!

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them sleepily before sitting up. "Li—what's that noise—Whaaa? What are you doing down there!"

Syaoran rubbed his neck, sitting on the carpeted floor. "Isn't it still obvious? Anyway, what time is it? The alarm didn't go off."

She looked at the alarm clock beside the bed. "7:47," she replied, getting up and rearranging her pajama top.

"That makes sense. We weren't supposed to get up before 8… Hey—yeooowchh!" he yelped in pain as a raven-haired girl squeezed and pulled on his cheek tight, giggling wildly.

Sakura sweatdropped and stood up, rearranging her pajama top into place. "Uhm… Hi there, Mei Xin!"

"_Ni hao!_"

Sakura smiled. "Say, what do you want to do for today? Well… I suppose you know that I'll be your temporary babysitter, right?"

Mei Xin strangely looked at her, her wide ruby eyes staring at Sakura, as if examining every part of her meticulously. "Not you. I don't like you."

"Whatever… I don't like you too…" Sakura replied in a faint whisper.

"Did you say anything, Saku?"

"Nah, I didn't! I just said you're so cute! Want a hug?"

"_I_ want a hug!" Syaoran called out, still sitting on the floor, crossed legged. He laughed. "Can you give me one biiiig good morning hug?"

Sakura smiled sweetly. "You wish. I would prefer hugging Mei Xin than you!"

"Better take that back… I don't know…" Syaoran trailed off.

Sakura shrugged and opened her arms to the little girl for a hug. Mei Xin smiled and hugged tight.

Tighter.

And tighter.

"Owww!"

"Hahahahaha! I still hate you Saku!"

"Li… heeellp…"

"I told you, you should've just hugged me instead!" He snickered, pulling Mei Xin the human leech apart from Sakura. "Mei Xin, don't do that," he shushed her.

"Xiaolang, you baby-sit me instead!" the little girl pleaded to Syaoran, flashing those irresistible puppy dog eyes for extra effect. "Can you? Can you? Can you?"

Syaoran hesitated. "Well… I've got work…"

"Can you? Can you?"

He thought of an excuse. Babysitting the stubborn, boyish Mei Xin? Nuh-uh. "Uhm… we have an important meeting today at the office, Mei Xin…"

"Then take me to your office!" Mei Xin obstinately stomped her foot. "I don't want to stay with Saku!"

"So do I…" Sakura added in a hoarse whisper. "I mean, that's so mean!" she said as Mei Xin looked at her with the fierce, angry ruby-colored eyes.

"Okay. But here's a deal." Mei Xin nodded with enthusiasm as Syaoran started his little speech in front of his little audience. "I'll go with you if you become nice to Sakura."

The little girl shot another 'I hate you' look at Sakura, who flinched. "Oh… okay… as long as you're there…"

Syaoran nodded. "Good girl. Now where do we go?"

Mei Xin seems to know where from the start. "Amusement park!"

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"Dizzy… sooo dizzy… ugh…"

"Yay! We go to the bumper cars next, Xiaolang!"

"You go, we'll stay here. Have a great time!"

Sakura sighed, wiping off beads of sweat quickly forming on her forehead. "Looks like I won't stand a chance to you two… I easily get dizzy…" She smiled, taking her time to get the air she lost. "Especially that horrible roller coaster… I thought I'd throw up right then and there…"

Syaoran chuckled. "Do you want anything? A drink perhaps? I'll buy."

"No, thanks."

"Oh c'mon! Juice? Coke?"

Sakura pretended to think childishly. "Oniichaaan, I don't want a drink… I want ice cream… make it triple as big okay? I want a three-level cone!"

"Flavor, little miss bratty?"

"Chocolate with caramel and vanilla and please with cherry on top!"

Syaoran laughed, standing up. "Demanding, huh? You're going to torture me into searching for cherries on top, you know that? Well, you're lucky you're not well. You're my slave and I should've been letting you buy me the ice cream."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that!" Sakura crossed her arms in front of her chest. "But you're the one who asked me if I want anything!"

"Yep, I know that." He started walking towards the ice cream parlor at the other side of the road.

Sakura began to relax while she smoothed her pink sleeveless top and wrinkled jeans. Closing her eyes for a minute, she felt calmness and serenity overcoming her…

"SAKUUUU!"

…Not.

"Hooee!" she almost fell from the bench when the energetic Mei Xin jumped to her from the back, pulling her pigtails. "Mei Xin! Stop that!" she shrieked as the girl's pulls became stronger that Sakura feared that her hair would be torn off from her scalp.

"Mei Xin!" Syaoran called out, carrying two ice cream cones. "I'm so glad I bought two." He handed her one ice cream cone, which she gladly took from his hand. "Mei Xin, don't fight with Sakura anymore," he ordered with a different voice.

"Xiaolang, I wanna go to the merry go round!" the child just changed the topic and pointed to a big merry go round at the far side. Syaoran smiled ruefully as Mei Xin tugged on his shirt.

"We'll stay here. Enjoy yourself!" He watched he run off after eliciting a disappointed frown.

Sakura exhaled a breath of relief. "I thought she was going to kill me… evil little girl…" She accepted the other ice cream from Syaoran, who sat next to her.

"Sorry about Mei Xin… she's always like that… especially to the girls I'm with. She almost killed my clients!" Syaoran laughed.

Sakura nodded in agreement. "She seems like she can't respect at all… like… she calls you Xiaolang and me Saku, considering that we're older… Oh, wait. How are you related to her, anyway?"

"Guess how."

She thought. "Cousin?"

Syaoran shook his head. "Nope."

"Sister?"

"No, I have four older ones. I'm the youngest and the only boy."

"I see…" Sakura nodded. "How about second or third cousin?" she guessed.

Wrong. Syaoran shook his head again.

"Well, believe it or not, she's my aunt." He grinned.

Sakura almost swallowed wholly the bite of ice cream in her mouth. "What was that? Mei Xin's your aunt?"

"Yup, and she has the whole right to torture me. Well, she's my grandfather's daughter from another woman he married when he was in his late fifties. Summing it up, my mother's the sole legitimate child and she has two stepsisters, Mei Xin and Meiling. And Meiling's another wicked brat. Wow… it's like a Cinderella story."

Sakura sighed. "That explains well. Anyway, so where's Meiling now?"

"Office. She's working in the Li Corporation with me."

"So she's in our age?"

"Yup. Makes it even harder." Syaoran sighed. "To top it off, Meiling's another aunt of mine so she's bossy around me, although I'm in a higher position than her."

"Complicated family… very complicated… Don't tell me you have a stepsister or stepbrother too…"

Syaoran laughed. "Yeah, I do have a stepbrother. You're psychic."

"Let me guess… your father has another wife who has three other stupid sons with her."

Syaoran seemed disappointed. "To tell you the truth, you're perfectly correct." He heaved another sigh. "But I'm the one who's born first so I get the position in our family. It's very complicated—well, you know Chinese people. They're all like that. Multiple wives, tremendous amount of children… Makes me think of what might happen to me in the future."

Sakura grinned. "Who knows? Just be sure you keep your count of the number of your wives, okay?"

"I'll keep an address book," he joked.

"Yeah, so you'd know which place to come home to after work." Sakura laughed. "Oh, and I'm just curious. Where's your father?"

"He already died. Two years ago."

She was silenced with the dreaded word. "Gosh, I'm sorry…"

"That's perfectly fine. I don't have any good memories with him. He's out most of the time. I never even experienced his fatherhood." Syaoran forced a laugh.

"But still, you got a mom and a dad. My… my mom died when I was born, and I don't have any good or bad memories with her… Anyway," Sakura smiled as she saw his concerned expression, "you still have one heck of a clan. You can't feel lonely with them."

Syaoran chose to stay silent. He was never used to revealing everything about him. "Yeah, but never mind that, it's never a huge problem! Our problem now is how to tame Mei Xin." He chuckled.

"Speaking of her, where is she? Usually she takes just a few minutes…" Sakura agitatedly looked around. "I'm worried…."

"Should we go find her?"

She nodded as she trashed the tissue in her hand. "I really think we should."

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"The jumpy girl with raven hair?" the merry go round operator thought for a minute before he shook his head. "Yes, I saw her, but she didn't take a second ride. She got off and I didn't know where she went…."

Sakura quickly ran off without even letting the man finish his sentence. She looked around, trying her best to get sight of her responsibility, Mei Xin.

Syaoran calmly nodded to the operator. "Well, we lost her. Can we use some of your help in finding her?"

"Surely, sir."

"Thanks." He ran off with Sakura, who was leaning on the wall as she gasped for breath.

"Li… what if we can't find her? What if…?"

Syaoran placed his hands on top of her shoulders. "We will. She's a Li. She can take care of herself."

"A five-year old? Though she's supposed to be brave, I don't think she can…"

"She can, I know it," Syaoran reassured her. "She's old enough to think of what to do when she's lost."

Sakura took a deep breath. "I hope."

The two ran again, looking for every place for the little girl. Sakura was nervously sweating. What if they can't find her? Punishment awaits them again? What if kidnappers got her and would ask for ransom? Little Chinese girls are perfect for a huge billion dollar ransom… Sakura shook her head in angst. She should find Mei Xin… She would.

"Mei Xin, where are you?" she whispered to herself, hoping she would see again how the girl smiles and tortures them, the way her braided raven hair bounces as she jumps on to her… the way she keeps her alive…

"Mei Xin!" she almost shrieked as she found the little girl with ruby eyes sitting on a bench near the huge fountain, hugging a brown stuffed teddy bear. Hearing her name, she looked up to her babysitter, eyes filled with tears.

"Saku… Sakura!" she jumped up from the bench and ran towards her, crying in her chest.

"Sssh… don't cry…"

"My nephew told me that if I get lost, especially if I'm with a neglectful babysitter, I stay in one place and wait because he would definitely find me…" she sobbed, and Sakura eyed Syaoran, who was grinning again.

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"Awww… see how cute she sleeps…" Sakura smiled at Mei Xin, who was sleeping peacefully on Syaoran's back. She held the teddy bear the girl gave her tightly. "She's just good when she sleeps! If she's awake, it'll be a total mess!"

Syaoran laughed. "I can't believe I'm carrying my aunt!" He smiled at Sakura, who was excitedly watching the ruby-eyed. "Well, I think I should let her sister scold her when we go back… 'Don't ever walk to booths without your neglectful babysitter.'" He snickered again.

"I didn't think she would play by herself just to get a teddy bear!"

"She told me that that teddy bear was supposed to be a peace offering so you two could get along," Syaoran explained. "She wants it to be a surprise, that's why she went off by herself."

Sakura sighed and fixed her gaze at the setting sun in the middle of the ocean, slowly going down with the orange-violet skies. "I think I'm going to like her sooner or later." She smiled.

Syaoran slowly took Sakura's hand and as they quietly walked towards the exit gate of the amusement park. "Li—"

"Such a nice young couple…" a man suddenly commented, and Sakura took her hand away.

"No, _we're not even a couple_!"

Syaoran just laughed as he heard Sakura cry out the words with frustration. "Hey, aren't you babysitting me for one whole week? Ah, I'm going to love this week."

Sakura tsk-tsked. "There's no way I would be babysitting two very naughty Lis!" She didn't notice that they were left alone, to their peaceful company.

"Sakuraaa, I want a kiss!" Syaoran asked in a child's voice, pretending to be one. He flashed such irresistible amber-colored puppy dog eyes that are almost impossible to argue against.

"What? You want ice cream?" Sakura countered with a smile. "Want me to buy one for you?"

"No, a kiss!"

She cupped a hand over her ear and said in a sing-song voice, "I-can't-hear-you!"

Syaoran grinned childishly, with all his wit. "I-want-to-kiss-you."

Sakura stopped for a minute as his humor faded, and an intense stare was fixed on her eyes, gluing them together and not tearing them apart for, what she thought, will be forever.

Li Syaoran was getting at it again, she bitterly thought as another reflection on what kind of escape will she be using now came quick through her mind.

She had thought of laughing, or anything at all just to break the silence, but then, to her amazement, he suddenly snickered and burst into a laugh.

It was a quick, one-second decision. And a very tough one too. Sighing, she decided to just forget everything for the meanwhile. At least until that beautiful sun has set into the dark, cold night, they'd be the friends talking to each other without any barrier like they were earlier. She'd forget about everything else. What's more, she knew he was more or less thinking about that same subject too. And it felt good.

She giggled with the sudden absurdity and seriousness of all, and just brought up the teddy bear to him.

"Let this cute teddy bear do the job! Don't you want to be kissed by such a cute and cuddly… bear? Mwaaah!"

And, with the sun setting at the horizon and witnessing every transition of life, everything forgotten and laid aside, they both laughed.


	4. Japanese Cinderella

**DAY 3: Japanese Cinderella

* * *

**

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**Sakura's POV**

_Wednesday, 9:39 AM_

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I know it's already Day 3, but I still can't bring myself to believing all of this.

First, I have to sacrifice 10,080 precious minutes of my life (or 168 hours, or 7 days, or in short, one whole week) as the personal slave of someone called Li Syaoran.

What's the worst part of it all? That "someone" I'm talking about is none other than the "richest and youngest entrepreneur in this generation", as said by a leading business magazine, and also the cheekiest playboy-businessman of all Asia.

Because of that stupid jerk, the number one of the most wanted bachelors alive, I'm in a very dangerous position of being mistaken as his _new_ girlfriend—and I'm put into the extreme jeopardy of being killed by his million fans all around the globe if that actually happens.

So my pride is at stake. Geez! A happy ending!

"Sa-ku-raaa…" I heard his extra-babyish voice behind me. I had crossed my arms in front of my chest and turned my back against him, but simply to no avail. His voice was menacingly forcing me to do what he wants me to do. I suddenly wanted to buy myself an earplug so I can't hear any of his childish pleads—which are in fact deafening me more to the advantage.

"Please? Pretty, pretty please?"

I sighed. My supposed-to-be master's expression was the same as Tomoyo's when she begged me to do this job. He was so much different from a calm and composed businessman, the always-cool one that had annoyed me for the first time we saw each other.

I just wish, oh, I just _wish_ that he wouldn't try to kneel down—down the marbled and fancy-carpeted floors of his extremely huge mansion—and act like a little beggar asking me for another one of those stupid requests.

"I don't want to," I began with the same tone I had used that time when Tomoyo had begged me. "You want me to be your _secretary_? Well, _dream on_."

So there, another heavy burden placed upon my back like a cross to carry on to Calvary by myself. If I needed Tomoyo, she's not there. Then oh, she was the one who personally nailed me to my cross in the first place, I almost forgot.

Did I do something wrong to be punished this much! Did I? Did I? _Did I?_

Tomoyo, oh Tomoyo! Why have you forsaken meeee?

Come to think of it, where was she all this time! Flirting with her boyfriends? Flying to the other side of the world just to get her beloved hair styled up to the latest fashion trend? Having an appointment with her dermatologist for her daily facial treatment?

God, she has _completely_ forsaken me. Forgive her for she didn't know what she's doing.

I heaved out a sigh and he started to pout like a kid. An irresistibly cute kid, but still. "Please? Just later this evening until the party's over! I've just fired my last secretary—"

"You fired her," I repeated, using my best sarcastic tone that I had mastered with Touya through the long centuries. I admit it was one good sarcastic tone to be proud of, at least. "Tough luck, boss. You should've held onto her then."

"But she was _seducing_ me!" he argued back, competing with my mockery, and obviously, starting one of the same long arguments we've been having since we first met—and I warn you, beware of our long quarrels. Proceed at your own risk, please. "Who would want his own secretary seducing him?"

I almost threw up. Was seducing him, huh?

I rolled my eyes with disgust. "Why didn't you give in then?"

"I'm not going to give in to someone who looks much like the old woman who sold the poisonous apples to Snow White."

"No, that woman is actually the Queen, and she disguised herself so she can kill Snow White. Didn't you know that?"

"Whatever. She still looks 90 years old."

"You're just being picky."

"So what if I am?"

"You've already got a hundred girlfriends. I bet they all look like Snow White."

"That's not true."

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say. Like I'm going to believe you, big fat liar!"

"Believe me, I only had nineteen."

"Oooh, and you're proud of it, huh?"

"I didn't say anything about being proud of it."

"That's what you literally mean!"

"Ah. So that's what this is. You're just jealous."

"No."

"Yes."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"If I would be jealous, it's never going to be of any of your past, present, or future girlfriends."

"Aww, don't worry, you're going to be my girlfriend soon, babe."

"So you're telling me that I'm going to be your number 20?"

"Don't you want to be?"

"In your dreams."

"I can do it in reality."

"You can't.'

"Want a demo?"

"No, thank you."

"Aaaww, honey, don't be shy!" He brushed his knuckles against my cheek, which made my skin prickle with goose bumps. "Oh, you're shivering. Are you cold? Let me warm you up then."

I blushed. "I'm not cold."

"Go make yourself comfortable in our bed. I'll be right in after you."

"What if I don't want to?"

"I'll make you."

"You can't."

"And why is that?"

"I'll have to kill you first."

"I say you can't."

"Give me three reasons why not."

"First. You'll kill the cutest guy you've ever seen in your life."

"Oh, I so always wanted to," I remarked. "I would be so happy to kill you, my lord."

Then he totally ignored me! That jerk!

"Secondly, if I'm dead, you won't ever have the chance to kiss the cutest guy you've ever seen in your life."

I narrowed my eyes on him. "I'd never want to kiss you, jerk."

"And lastly…" I suddenly saw an evil sparkle in his eyes that I want to run away and hide. "If I'm dead… how can the cutest guy you've ever seen in your life pleasure you?"

That's it.

Game over.

RIP, Li Syaoran.

I gritted my teeth, in attempt to control at least some anger. "Invalid reasons."

"How? I enumerated three _very good_ reasons."

"Aren't you ever at loss of words?"

"Why? Are you?"

"If you're leading up to annoying me badly so you can have me as your secretary—"

"I'm leading up to I badly want to kiss you."

Silence.

Instead of a peaceful reply, a growl escaped my lips, "_What was that again_?"

"Okay, I was just joking!" Li sighed and held my arms with both of his big hands. My eyebrow raised itself up—way, way up. "Sakura, I have to have someone introduced as my secretary this business party—" he briefly looked at his wristwatch, "—and I have to have her signed with Meiling in her office in ten minutes or I wouldn't make it to her 10 o'clock deadline. Please?"

Then in another second, his eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. "Or… you're fine to be presented to the president of the largest oil conglomerate and the head manager of one of the largest TV companies in Hong Kong as my _slave_…"

If there's such thing as a modern Japanese Cinderella, I could audition as a real-life 'girl covered with cinders'. And I could even get Li and his naughty little aunt to be my stepsiblings. It would be a big hit in the theaters, unquestionably.

"That's worse, you moron," I angrily grumbled as a reply. "Nothing would happen to you if you don't bring any secretary to that stupid party. Waste of my time."

As if the plot's rapidly reversed, Li gave me such a puckish grin that my palms started to nervously sweat with the feeling that he has yet another nasty plan on me. "You don't want to be my secretary. You don't want to be my slave either. I'll just have you introduced as my girlfriend then. That's better."

That preposterous jerk, I don't want to be his girlfriend either—whether only in a business party or in real life!

"You—are the worst person I've ever met in my entire life, Li Syaoran."

"And you have the cutest frown I've ever seen in my entire life."

I stared at him and glowered more. "Fine. I'll be the secretary. But you're banned from demanding anything from me tonight."

Okay, fine. I'll be Cinderella for the night. But according to tradition, I'll find my prince. Ha. You think Cinderella is still a kindhearted, selfless freak these days?

Try me.

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**Third Person POV**

_10:06 AM_

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"You're Xiaolang's _WHAT_?"

Sakura nervously smiled but said nothing. _I'm doomed. Goodbye, Kinomoto Sakura, you've led such a wonderful life until that pest came in,_ she thought, her legs feeling like jelly and terribly wanting to drop down onto the carpeted floors of the office of the Li Corporation's head manager.

"Hey, calm down, Meiling," Syaoran chuckled, handing the ruby-eyed woman some office papers. "She's not my wife, you know!"

Li Meiling, with her raven hair up in a tight, formal bun, frowned at Sakura, then flashed a much tighter scowl at Syaoran. "Idiot, I know she's not, but she's your _slave_! What does _that_ mean! Now you tell me to _calm down_?"

"What's the matter with her being my slave?" Syaoran reasoned, emphasizing the word 'slave', prolonging his pronunciation of 'a' to make it sound ever so seductive. And to make things worse for the poor subject of the conversation, he placed his arms around Sakura's shoulder and pulled her towards him, so near that Sakura felt temperature rising to boiling point. "Right, babe?"

"Get… that… off me!"

"What?" He placed a hand cupped over his ear and grinned goofily. "I can't hear you!" he sang.

"I said, _get that arm off_!"

"Tsk tsk. Sorry, but I'm your master, and you can't order me around!"

"_And so_?"

Syaoran only shrugged and pretended as innocent.

"I said take your arm off!"

"Manners, manners!"

Sakura cringed, but regained her composure right away. "If you could only take your arm off my shoulders, _my lord_, I would certainly appreciate it."

Meiling, who was witnessing that habituated, usual argument progress, was stunned, and close to exploding laughter. That was how a pathetic little kitten, in the name of Kinomoto Sakura, endeavored to fight the cruel fox, a.k.a. Li Syaoran. Mixed emotions, she remained silent, her arms crossed.

Until…

"XIAOLANG! Take your arm OFF! RIGHT NOW!"

"Meiling, even you?" He made innocent puppy dog eyes. Such irresistible blinks of his eyes.

"What's your arm—" she pointed to Syaoran's oh-so-innocent arms, "—doing around her _waist_!" Meiling's ruby-colored eyes, a shade pretty much like Mei Xin's, glowered at Syaoran, whose arm was casually around Sakura's waist, as if it's in a natural habitat. She gritted her teeth with certain irritation when Syaoran wrapped another on his slave's waist, embracing her from the back. He didn't even budge with the threat, which made Sakura's temper measure weigh off the scale. Her hand was getting ready to attack. And so was Meiling's.

"You won't take them off?" Meiling almost shrieked.

"_You won't take them off_?" Sakura repeated after her.

"Excuse me, this is MY office, and public display of affection is definitely NOT allowed here!"

"Why do you care, Meiling?" Syaoran asked, a naughty grin playing in his lips. "And Sakura, sweetheart, you'll soon be used to this. You'll be my girlfriend soon all right."

"Who the hell said I'll be!"

"You let me undress you the other night—our first night together…"

Meiling's temper reached its limit when she heard the words 'girlfriend' and 'our first night'. "Y-you! Kinomoto! How dare you—!"

"Wait, Meiling! He's lying!" Sakura raised her hands to shield herself. "It's not that!"

Meiling's hand was a second away from slapping hard onto her face, but Syaoran's hand pulled it away. He looked at her as fiercely as one can.

"Game over, dear aunt. You better work on your temper. She's _my_ secretary, not one of your marionettes. And she's neither your Cinderella stepsister, nor the Snow White you always envied."

Meiling growled, but never said a word.

"Do you have any problem with that?"

She never replied.

"Then let's go, Sakura." He removed his remaining hand from her waist, and took her hand instead, pulling her towards the door.

Sakura looked down while she walked past the one who tried to hurt her. And never looked onto Li Meiling's eyes ever again.

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"Why is she so mad at me?"

Syaoran sighed. His expression wasn't any different from his usual arrogance, but it was a little noticeable that he wasn't just alright with his aunt's attitude earlier. "You can expect that dialogue when she meets a girl—any girl I bring here in the office."

"But I'm not your girlfriend," Sakura mumbled, remembering the slap attempt. She sighed, too.

"She's just jealous."

"Jealous? Meiling?"

He laughed. "Can't believe it? She'd been trailing behind me all the time since we're practically wearing diapers."

"_But_! She's your _aunt_!"

"I know. She's been always the same as Mei Xin—uh," Syaoran paused. "Speak of the devil…"

He forced a small smile when Mei Xin trotted gaily to him. So forced that he looked so hideous and comical with such a strange smile plastered nonchalantly on his face, hiding the obvious 'I don't like the feel of this' looks.

It was mandatory, that is, to smile in front of someone who is in the upper branches of the family tree of the Li, especially in front of some 'aunt' who, if you didn't, would start bawling, wailing, and howling—well, you get the picture. He managed an artificial one, fortunately.

"Xiaolang… I wanna go to the partyyy…" Mei Xin whined and stomped her foot, her cute face now exhibiting a large pout. "I will go with you, riiight?"

Syaoran's smile instantly vanished.

"Mei Xin—"

"I wanna go with Xiaolaaang!" She threw her arms to him and punched childishly on his arms.

Syaoran forced another smile again. "We can go out some other time, as you had asked for earlier… but now I can't agree to that one."

"Whyyyy?"

"Errr… No children are allowed… R-right, Sakura?" He turned to the auburn-haired girl who was jadedly leaning now against the wall, waiting for such an argument (arguments ever since the morning) to finish. Syaoran winked an eye. "Right? Right? Right?"

Sakura's always-brave appearance faded as she sweatdropped, anime-style. She faked an innocent look and eyed Syaoran—who was still winking and signaling to her. Oh, knowing what it means to have a little girl to look after at the party rather enjoying it (and well, finding her "prince charming"), there's got to be something Sakura should do.

"Uh… uhm… yeah, no children are allowed, it's for business, Mei Xin—"

"Xiaolaaang! Saku is going too!"

Syaoran nodded and apprehensively laughed. "Erm… I asked her to go with me."

"Hey, I promise that your nephew would be available the next day, after the party. As his secretary, I promise I'll secure his schedules so you two could spend time together. Okay?" Sakura assured the little girl, making up an excuse and hiding her nervousness. Although Mei Xin had attempted to make up the other day at the amusement park, the thought of all the strangling, pinching, embarrassing, and bullying still made her so uneasy.

"It's still unfaaair… why can Saku go with Xiaolang but I caan't?"

_Ugh. Then what's the teddy bear for!_ Sakura's mind disappointedly groaned. "Don't worry, you'll soon come with him, too, when you become a grown up…"

Wooops… Wrong turn.

"Wheeen! It'll be years!" Mei Xin wailed so loudly that Syaoran even has to stop her from wailing too loud, or they'll both be in trouble. Huge trouble. Her arms flew at her sides, and Sakura even has to back up to prevent being hit by the humongous arm-flyswatter.

"Heey, heey! We better escape… she's throwing a 't' again!" Syaoran whispered onto Sakura's ear.

"I'M NOT THROWING A TANTRUM!"

Sakura grinned sarcastically at Syaoran. "You're lucky. You have a suuuper-intelligent aunt. What's her IQ again?"

"You call that lucky?" he shot back at her. "Okay. I'll give you a promise, my favorite aunt. We would go on a date together the day after tomorrow. Is it okay?" he announced, and all Sakura could do was stare out in shock, her eyes almost bulging out from its sockets.

Who in the world would attempt to go to a date with his aunt, the five-year old? Plus, that aunt is going to be the strongest, craziest, creepiest, and most impossible aunt in the world!

"Oh… sniff… Okay…"

"That's my aunt."

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_6:25 PM_

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Syaoran laughed his heart out.

Sakura bit her lower lip with uncertain insecurity.

With different expressions, they stared into a sheet of bond paper plastered securely onto Syaoran's room's wall. 'Cancel the party' was written in bold, bright red ink, all in capital letters, as if angrily wanting to cancel the party—and Syaoran being the first to know the intentions.

Sakura shuddered.

Syaoran had laughed again, removing the paper and trashing it on the wastebasket near the door. "Don't tell me you're gonna believe that! Maybe just some kind of prank from someone who desperately wants the party tonight to be called off because he didn't have any date."

"Haha. Funny."

"It might be true, you know."

"Hello, this is a business party! Who cares if you bring a date or not?"

He sighed, adjusting his necktie. "Nonetheless, the party's going to start even if he wants it or not. In a few minutes, the living room will be filled with the guests."

"OK, OK! And in a few minutes, I'll be all known as your secretary. How _nauseating_!" Sakura made a face and straightened her pink tube dress. "Do I look ridiculous?" she asked with a pout.

"Yeah you do."

She arched an eyebrow.

"You look like a very cute princess who rather belongs to a castle," Syaoran grinned.

"Yeah right." Sakura sighed. "I'll get you for this someday, just wait and see."

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_7:35 PM_

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Now, Sakura laughed her heart out.

And now, Syaoran bit his lower lip with uncertain insecurity.

"This is wrong," he muttered under his breath.

"Now that's some kind of a funny prank." Sakura laughed.

"Okay. It's been funny at the start. That unknown sent me notes—inside my room, my dresser, even in my bathroom! But who the hell would know even my confidential cell phone number and tell me that there's something bad going to happen to you if I don't cancel the party!"

"That's absurd," she reasoned. "Why would I be harmed or even killed for just a stupid party? I'm not even worth your assets!"

Syaoran sighed. "Beats me." He turned his phone off and resumed on shaking the different visitors' hands and smiling his best at every female who had smiled at him. The party's just about to start, and when it came to the crucial minute, someone called on his phone and told him the warning.

"Anyways, it's not a guy," he whispered to Sakura after a lot of tiring handshakes from a lot of VIPs. "It's a girl. She lowered her voice, and it just sounded ridiculous. But it's obvious she's a she."

"That makes it more difficult for her to kill me," Sakura grinned confidently, as if she had a trump card over the unknown suspect. Her expression made her look like she's sure that she'll win.

"And why?"

"She's going to be no much braver than me."

"How?"

"Why are you being so concerned? You're really impossible."

There was a short pause.

Syaoran grinned. "Beats me."

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**Syaoran's POV**

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Why am I being so concerned about her?

If you could only see her ever so determined look, then you wouldn't be worried at all—be it a vampire, a serial killer, a kidnapper, a murderer, or only a girl who was jealous of her.

I laughed.

And there's no such thing as a serial killer targeting just a 'secretary', would there be? There are a lot of bigwigs here, worth trillions, but not a secretary! It's completely out of human knowledge why someone would want _my_ secretary—or my slave to be exact—to be harmed because of a stupid party?

If there's someone who could be targeted, it's supposed to be me, right?

The thing is, I don't know.

All I know is that I suspect just one person.

Meiling.

I just begged Sakura to be my secretary so she won't get too harsh with her. As expected, though, she already got harsh the moment she heard that Sakura was my slave. Too harsh that I might suspect that she was the one who plotted all of this nonsense.

So if there's someone who's angry with Sakura with all her life, it's supposed to be her.

If there's someone who could know my number, where I usually go, where I usually look at, to put all the notes, it's supposed to be her.

But she's my _aunt_, who can't even take it that I'm her nephew and instead kept on showing off to me. It's simply unreasonable. She's never an option for me as a woman I'll love for the rest of my life. She's my grandfather's daughter, and that means no.

But whoever she is, she's sure persistent. A ton of messages of the threat to Sakura, and a lot of really annoying calls.

Whoever she is, she's pretty angry with her.

"Hey."

I quickly turned around and found Eriol behind me, holding a glass of red wine in his hand. He was wearing a long-sleeved navy blue shirt, which I bet he didn't like so much too, and was grinning like a huge freak.

"Yo," I replied. "And can you just explain why are you grinning like that?"

He really was something. Eriol know everything about me. Even what I think or what I am into. I can clearly distinguish that mischievous look he had—that he was expecting some explanation why I was staring blankly at the empty space in front of me.

He laughed, taking the seat next to me. "You're alone. Where's your secretary?"

"I fired her. I got Sakura to be my temporary secretary."

"Then Sakura dumped you?"

"Nope. She's just in the ladies' room. How could she have dumped me, the cutest guy she has ever seen in her life?" I chuckled.

"Seems like you two have made progress. But you haven't even kissed her yet, am I right?"

I sank down, pitiably. How could he have ever known that!

"You look pathetic," he said, as if he read what's all on my mind and answered my question. "It looks like you've been worrying about her."

"I'm not," I retorted, covering up any traces of worry he might detect on me. I wasn't drinking, nor was I fidgeting around and worriedly searching for any traces of my lost secretary who just went to the restroom. I wasn't showing any hints that I was worried about her, in the first place. But I guess somehow, something has leaked out of me, stupidly.

"Oh, is that right," he rolled his eyes. "You're a complete loser."

"Yeah, yeah, call me that again."

Eriol laughed. "And I bet you two still haven't done anything—you know what."

Mentally slapping myself, I sighed. I've had my reputation for years, and this is the first time that that ever happened. I was pulling back on kissing her. And there's something terribly wrong with me. Ever since she stepped into my life… three days ago.

I just plainly shrugged. "Yeah. Since she's got no big chest, no womanly curves, a childish face—"

"Maybe you already had too much alcohol. Man, she's called 'hot'!"

Too much alcohol? Is he nuts! I don't drink. Well, just a little sometimes. And I'm a good boy. I'm a playboy, but I'm basically a good boy.

"But you seem to know a lot about her, huh?" Eriol added.

I grinned at him.

"Oh, I completely forgot to tell you," he suddenly said. "I saw Sakura walking out of the bathroom an hour ago, and she told me to let you know that she'll be waiting for you at the garden outside."

As if everything's back to normal again, and my brain functioned as normally once more, I thought… Yeah, she was gone for a pretty long time… Why haven't I noticed it! Okay, I had always been bored and out of my mind in every boring business party I attended, but this is the first time I actually lost track of time.

"Got it. Thanks, bud."

"Hmm? I wonder why you two are going to meet outside…?"

I beamed at him. "Maybe she finally comes to her mind that I am, really, the cutest guy she's ever seen in her life."

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**Third Person POV**

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Syaoran never expected that what he said earlier would ever come true. It was perfect. A full moon, a soft wind, a peaceful surrounding, the lush greenery of the garden… just so perfect.

"Didn't you hear me? I said 'kiss me'!"

"Are you serious? You want me to kiss you?"

There was a long pause.

"You've been late for an hour, and I need you to do it—or I'd die," Sakura muttered breathlessly. "Believe me, if you don't, I'll be dead before you know it."

_If this is what you call 'heaven', then I want to die now,_ Syaoran thought to himself. His slave's arms, as he had long desired to, were now wrapped around his neck, and he could almost feel her heartbeat with the nearness of their bodies.

"No regrets…?" His soft whisper trailed off to thin air, as Sakura closed her eyes. He closed his own and held her waist, slowly closing the gap between his lips and hers.

Every second seemed like an hour has passed for him to enjoy.

He just wished no one would ever interrupt his happiest night…

Then Sakura broke away from him.

"Finally, there you are!"

He was speechless.

"I've had enough of your jokes, Mei Xin."

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"Can you believe this little girl actually fell in love with her nephew?" Sakura turned her gaze to the raven-haired girl who was sleeping peacefully on her lap. She began to stroke Mei Xin's long hair with a small smile.

Syaoran grinned all-so-foolishly that he ruined the peaceful moment. "Maybe I was just too cute and too handsome that my two aunts fell for me, huh?"

"Whatever," she shot back in a reply. "I'm not in the mood to argue, you know. If we don't stop all these long fights, I would soon be at loss for words. I don't have a good vocabulary."

"Hmm? Why? Suddenly you're out of words. What happened to you? And you seem exhausted," he commented. He lied down on the soft grass and gazed up the black sky.

Sakura sighed. "You would think I'm the most embarrassing person in the party. She sneaked in the room and made her first move by tripping me with her foot sticking out from under one of the buffet tables. Worst, I landed facedown in front of the VIPs."

Syaoran laughed.

"Then after I just recovered and made a new guy friend, she sneaked—again—under the table we're sitting at and kicked my foot—which made so surprised that I screamed so loud and spilled the juice that I was holding on his brand new shirt. Made a bad impression," she continued narrating with a sigh.

"That's payback since you tried to sneak up on me."

She stuck her tongue out. "That's supposed to be your fault. You didn't even realize that I'm gone. So many things had happened while you sit there alone, lost in your thoughts."

"Fine. Then?"

"Then, I thought that maybe she's the one who sent the notes and all the stuff—considering that all the bad things have happened to me. So I thought of this plan—"

"That you'd pretend that I'm kissing you so she'll show up?"

"Yep. I'd really die if she doesn't stop. Who knows what her next murder/embarrassment move will be?"

Syaoran frowned childishly. "And I thought you're finally giving in to me."

"To _you_! Are you drunk or what? I'd _never_. Cross my heart." Sakura laughed. "And you looked so silly. As if you've never kissed anyone before. You pucker your lips like an idiot."

He eased a glare. "As if you've kissed anyone before."

"None of your business."

"You act as if you mastered kissing. Want to try it now?"

Sakura giggled. "No, thank you. Maybe you'd like to try it with Meiling. I bet she'll die for your kiss."

"In your dreams."

"Hey, that's my line!"

"Wait, seriously." Syaoran turned to somewhat 'serious mode' and looked far away. "Meiling even helped Mei Xin get into this. She prepared everything to be needed by her. I think they're both not taking to you…"

"I know," Sakura muttered. "As if I'm Cinderella and they're my evil stepsisters. They've made me live a day of pure hell."

"But you got through it," Syaoran added in a whisper. "Do you forgive?"

"Hmm… I think so. She said sorry, and she's just a child. Yeah."

"Ever heard of a modern day Cinderella?"

His words made her remember what she'd thought earlier that day.

"Maybe. Mei Xin's a modern day evil stepsister. She's the worst kid I've ever met. She humiliated me in front of a whole room of people."

"Weren't she just jealous because Cinderella got to be with the Prince in the end, not her?"

Sakura laughed. "Prince who? You? Don't kid me. I'll still be searching for my real Prince Charming. Your aunt ruined my time with my potential Prince Charming earlier."

"Haven't you met the real one yet? Maybe he's just beside you or something…" Syaoran trailed off, beaming at her.

"I'm sure he's not. No way. I'd better be back to being Cinderella the maid covered with cinders again, rather than marrying a prince whose name was Li Syaoran."

"But if you ask me, I've already found my Japanese Cinderella." He stared right onto Sakura's eyes.

She sighed hopelessly. "Or your Japanese Cinderella-slave."

"I didn't say that!"

"It's what you mean!"

"Not really."

"You really don't know when to stop!"

"Teach me how."

"I'd better not."

"Then teach me how to kiss."

"Dream on!"

"Don't you want to finally kiss your Prince Charming?"

"I want to, but he's not you, sorry."

"Then don't you want to kiss the cutest guy you've ever met in your life?"

"You've said that a million times, and I never want to."

"Then… uh…"

"Finally the Li Syaoran lost words! Gotta record this moment!"

…And they lived happily ever after.

…Or so we think.


	5. A Deal

**DAY 4 (PART 1): A Deal

* * *

**

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**Sakura's POV**

_Thursday, 12:03 MN_

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This is enough.

Enough, E-N-O-U-G-H, enough!

I'm angry now. Truly angry. Very, very, very angry.

Oh, never mind my redundancies. It has just undoubtedly gone over the limit, and I'm not very happy about it at all. Japanese Cinderella or no Japanese Cinderella, argument or no argument, I've really had enough!

No outrageous buts, Li Syaoran, my ever-stupidest master! I'm leaving, and no 'I will kiss you if you do' threats will stop me from doing so, got that? I have a pretty good list of the zillion reasons why I do think this is the exact right time to take action, but here are the top five why I really think it is:

**5.)** I can't possibly live with that darned cat insisting on residing in my room! Okay, fine. It isn't actually my room (my master's, if I need to be precise), but nevertheless, that's pretty much the only place where I could sleep for this week—literally—considering that he apparently ordered all of their maids and practically everyone in the Li mansion that I'm completely persona non grata on any other bedroom except his. Which only means that I can't even set foot on any room with a freaking BED!

And although that cat started to annoy me just a while ago when we came back from the party (attack is a much better word, I guess), I can't imagine living with two obnoxious Lis around me, 24/7.

I can't possibly stand having a very large amount of long white strands of cat hair all over my face the moment I wake up. My allergy doctor would faint on me—or probably go totally ballistic—when he finds out, like, "You live with a _feline_? Either you kill that cat or move… the hell… out!"

To either of which I would very gladly and with all my heart obey.

**4.)** Another thing to stress out: Ling-Ling, the horrible Li family cat, LOVES Li Syaoran, to the point that she would even FLIRT with him or something. Ling-Ling, the horrible Li family cat, HATES Kinomoto Sakura, to the point that she wouldn't hesitate to KILL her. She purrs at Li Syaoran. She just wants to be held by him…

…and she's so going to bite my leg off, or scratch my epidermis AND dermis off my body, or maybe tear my hair off my scalp with those disgustingly sharp little nails of hers.

Need I say more?

**3.)** The sacred eating ceremony. Oh, wait, I absolutely love the food, no complaints with that. Imagine a clan dinner (appears as an 'eating ceremony' to me, though) held daily at seven o'clock sharp, where the most delicious stuff you could possibly eat are served for free.

Ahh… The perfect revival of the paradise of Eden.

What I like best is—no doubt—that maaarvelous Italian dinner that was served two days ago, although yeah, they're supposed to be 100 Chinese aristocrats who should be eating dumplings or stuff like that.

But still! I'm a sucker for pasta. And no one seems to ever realize that—which is kind of good, because I think the cook didn't really notice that I was the one who ate almost everything of what he made. Oh no, he might ban me from eating another gorgeous spaghetti carbonara again! He terribly looks like someone who can ban people when he thinks he needs to. Scaaary.

So yeah, I love that part (except the banning thing), but here comes the worst part of the story: I don't totally love the 'you-are-dining-with-the-whole-Li-clan-so-you-better-not-do-anything-stupid' law and the 'you-can't-make-any-noise-otherwise-you'd-be-babysitting-another-Li-child-you-food-fight-with' law.

Once, Li (I still can't bring myself to calling him Syaoran! Brrr… Totally scarier!) actually burped, and he got scolded. Burped. Okaayy. That's even weirder than the persona non grata law. The Lis are positively, absolutely, extremely, truthfully WEIRD, I tell you. And I thought communication while eating is good for the family.

Who in the world gets scolded like it's the end of the world when he _burps_?

**2.) **Hiiragizawa Eriol. No, it doesn't mean that I don't like him. Yeah, I like him very much (not romantically, that is), but the way he treats Li Syaoran and me as a (knock on wood) happy couple? He's going to shut it up, or else. But apart from that, he's easy to like, on account that he's so nice to me and he's ultimately a gentleman—

Totally unlike SOMEONE ELSE who keeps on insisting that I do all the work while he slacks off and reads his magazines (the ones with him in the centerfold, flashing his worth a million dollars smile, I believe) or purposely just watch me shed the sweat with those oh-so-beautiful eyes.

So, in conclusion, I can't possibly kill such a sweet guy like Eriol.

But wait, there's also Li Meiling, whose eyes seem to be bulging out of their sockets just with the mere sight of me, and Li Mei Xin, who looks totally cute and adorable with her chubby cheeks and all that, but in truth, inside her lies a she-devil, an evil sorceress, a demonic witch—totally opposite to what her name really means, which is "beautiful heart".

Li had the funniest face I've ever seen (oh, besides Tomoyo's picture-perfect expression when she told me about her 'stalker' in high school—she was so grossed out to even think about that four-eyed nerd who wore neon green braces, who, apparently, knows what cup size she wore) when he told me all about the Chinese meaning of that perfect name. The brat's that un-angelic, I tell you—although I love that teddy bear she gave me.

With three members of that Li clan around me and spying on everything I do—or we do—I can't possibly be okay with them suspicious that me and Li Syaoran are going out and doing you-know-what. How in the hell should I have SEX with Li Syaoran! Okay, stop scolding me for being so blunt here, but hellooo?

I mean, he has millions of girls to choose from. And that DEFINITELY doesn't include Kinomoto Sakura.

**1.)** Li Syaoran himself. Okay, granted, he's exceptionally cute, if his million fans aren't any indication.

He looks like someone who hasn't gotten his driver's license yet (remember: looks can be deceiving)…

No stubble, perfectly shaved (nice aftershave too)…

Broad shoulders (the kind of which you would be tempted to lean on without any reason at all)…

Tall, lean frame (with the kind of muscles that are extremely sexy in a not-screaming-for-attention way, if you know what I mean)…

Strong, big hands with long fingers (which unbelievably make me wonder if my hand can fit perfectly and warmly within his)…

Chestnut-colored hair (that messily but adorably falls onto his intense amber eyes, which, by the way, always look like as if they're going to swallow you)…

And although I hate to admit this, his six-packs are just too... indescribable.

Not that I wanted to or even _desired_ to see the abdominal muscles of my master (or any other parts of his body, for that matter), but I can't help it, especially when he usually comes out of the shower confidently half-naked with only his white towel wrapped around his lower body, a sight for everyone to marvel with and the details to ponder on.

But gosh, where are the manners, I should ask? He should have put on a shirt, at least. Decency, Li Syaoran! I thought you're the _president_ of a corporation, for heaven's sake. Has anybody ever seen a head honcho of a multi-billion corporation walk around exuding some kind of dark force coming within him that says "Hey, I'm rich, I'm gorgeous, look at me and just _swoon_" just because he's proud to say that he has a million-dollar ass and I—or _we_ commoners—don't?

Okay, he has the most gorgeous abs I've ever seen (not that I've seen a lot of those, mind you. And that's a _B_ in the middle of _a_ and _s_, okay?), and he's everybody's prince; plus, he's loved by everyone—adored, worshipped, list the synonyms. He's the 'striking young Chinese entrepreneur' who rules an entire corporation when he's just in his, what, mid-twenties? He has everything, from the looks to the riches.

But there's a glitch: a huge one. I bet everyone doesn't know Li Syaoran just well enough to say he's someone with an attitude. Someone who seems to think that he can have anything, anything at all, that he likes… someone who can mess up your entire life with a snap of his finger.

If only there's a chance that I can know him better, then my life could be so much easier… I mean, Tomoyo's kind of friends with him, right? And yeah, he's alternating those totally-opposing egos of his once in a while, so he can be at least manageable at times.

But nevertheless, once he's back to the master-slave treatment or the boyfriend-girlfriend act, that part of him that's pretty much incomprehensible, running away from this pain in the ass is the best solution. So far, this jerk is the best reason why I don't want to live here and stay anymore.

Have to call Tomoyo and tell her I'm going to interrupt her peaceful life for a while. What can I do? I seriously need to have someone to listen to my thoughts—and someone to let me stay for just one night.

Goodbye, Li Syaoran. Sayonara. Au revoir. Ciao. Adieu!

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_Thursday, 11:15 AM_

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They told me they're going to meet me here in exactly five more minutes, but look, I've been waiting for annoying fourteen minutes and twenty-six seconds already—and there's still no sign of some Gucci bag (a lot of Gucci bags here… have to find one with a small teddy bear keychain—that's what I gave Tomoyo for last Christmas) or some navy blue hair and a pair of glasses that actually looks good on someone.

Hey, why am I always the one who's enduring the pain? I mean, fine. I used some kind of hyperbole, but that doesn't matter. Really, if I could be a TV actress, it's like being the soap-opera girl protagonist who always ends up being maltreated by her evil relatives—weirdoes—who are trying to kill her so they could get all of her share of inheritance.

And I almost thought I was going to be the luckiest girl in the world today.

Those two told me that today, which is the ultimately blissful day after I ran away from Li Syaoran's mansion last midnight, they're going to treat me to La Terrazza Dell-Eden at the Hotel Eden and that I could eat everything to my heart's contentment.

La Terrazza Dell-Eden! The famous Italian restaurant! And that's probably the place where those billionaires spend all their money on, just to get their hands on the most expensive and indisputably the best pasta you could ever find! I've even read an article about it in the newspaper! I heard their ravioli al funghetto tastes like _heaven_. And I always thought that the insalata carpese from the Italian fast-food restaurant around the corner of my apartment building are to DIE FOR.

I am very much a dull, from the country, naïve, non-socialite girl.

But know what? To my great happiness, Tomoyo and Eriol (I don't know why Eriol got involved with the scene, but bah) promised me a whole you-don't-have-to-pay-for-anything a.k.a. eat-all-you-can lunch with them as a treat!

I don't exactly know why either, but who cares!

Oh, wait. Maybe I really _had_ interrupted _something_ last night, when I came barging in Tomoyo's enormous bedroom, which is about the size of my whole apartment room, and found all the lights off (except the dim light coming from the Plasma TV in front of them) and the two apparently making out on the sofa.

They insisted it was nothing, and although it WAS quite fishy, I kind of just agreed—albeit I've seen quite a lot of the kissing and I could've sworn there's also some tongue action (damn my exceedingly 20/20 eyesight!)—because I was… erm… too _stunned_ to even interrupt. Well, I guess I was too tired last night to argue even more.

Who wouldn't get pooped if you have to sneak out of a huge mansion carrying two heavy bags and anxiously trying to hide that angry, scrunched-up look on your face?

And if I didn't try to screw up my face to form a smile, everyone who saw me would surely suspect that I'm up to something crazy, as opposed to what I told them—that I'm just going to enjoy some fresh air outside.

Right. Fresh air at 12 o'clock midnight and while carrying two huge bags.

Let's add "gullible" to our list of weird things the Lis truly are. Maybe I could publish a book about them and call it "The Li Clan's Biggest Secrets: Revealed".

Anyway, I guess Tomoyo and Eriol are just trying to cover up that incident I accidentally saw last night, or maybe they don't want it out, or they're just trying to use my weakness so I won't tell a single soul. To be precise, it's technically called "bribery", and yup, I took what we call the "bait".

But I don't care. I should just let it drop…

…otherwise, I might not get to have another free lunch in La Terrazza Dell-Eden!

Oh, Sakura, just forget your best friend and her supposedly boyfriend's intriguing, front-page-of-the-New-York-Times deserving kiss scene last night and just be perfectly ecstatic, will you?

I have died and gone to heaven! I'm going to eat at La Terrazza Dell-Eden, eat all I want and until my stomach can't take it, and live peacefully ever after—without having to obey orders from some master, without having to stay in my master's room, and without having stupid cat hair all over my face the moment I wake up!

I'm going to live happily ever after as a free woman of this liberal country!

So here I am now, blissfully sitting on this fancy and comfortably soft royal blue chair, looking all posh and glam just like a top supermodel going to eat her royal lunch for the day; even though I'm only wearing a miniskirt and a simple lilac top.

Anyway, there _isn't_ any dress code in here, is there? If there really is something like that, then those three girls sitting near my table wearing Levi's jeans and French Connection blouses are definitely going to go outside with me, although they look like they're not wearing imitations.

"May I take your order, Miss Kinomoto?" A waiter suddenly appeared in front of me, just like magic or something ethereal, handing me the most elegant menu I've ever seen with a flourish.

I almost gasped with surprise. I guess I'm going to have to work on my habit of slinking away from the real world to my own Fantasy Land; or else I'd really be the last person to know if the Earth gets hit by a comet, explodes, and disappears into thin air. Oh, no, please don't let that happen, though.

I still need to eat here a lot more often before I die.

Putting on what I practiced as my new "million-dollar smile", I told the waiter that I'm going to wait for my friends for a moment longer, so he just flashed that very typical waiter-smile and walked away.

I sighed and looked around for any more signs of Tomoyo and Eriol, but instead, I found a guy in the table in front of mine looking at me and winking when I met his eye. He smiled.

What are you looking at, rich-face! But instead of saying that, I only had the guts to weakly smile back.

I stared down and hid my face behind the menu to cover my blush. Oh, wow. Do I really look _that_ expensive? Whoa, I'm not out of place! Hah! I _wish_ Li Syaoran could just see that. He'd regret every single torture he had made me go through and realize that I'm not just some girl whom he can order around.

The guy was probably close to my age. And he's kinda cute. Although he looks kind of… stiff, he still looks cute with that expensive-looking, long-sleeved shirt and expensive smile. But come to think of it, he looks too… formal.

Kind of cute, but too formal. Like Ken in his usual black tuxedo, with the arm that can be moved in just one direction, a leg that couldn't be bent, and eyes too glassy that I almost thought it could only stare in one direction. Ken as in _Barbie and Ken_. Almost too good-looking to be true. God, the Ken look is too… 1950's.

I don't know, but Li Syaoran suddenly just popped right inside my head _again_ that very second of conclusion. It was as if _that_'s how he'd look if he would just:

1.) Stop folding his sleeves up to his elbow (just because it's too hot isn't a good reason to),

2.) Fix his necktie properly (not like it was done by a seven-year old, which is the exact case everyday), and

3.) Put on some hair gel or use a freaking comb (because his hair is too messy to look that formal—kind of Harry Potter's hair, which, annoyingly, couldn't seem to stay down).

But I guess after all, 1950s look wouldn't suit him and… and… I would still like it if the casual Li Syaoran will stay.

…Oh my God, _what did I just say_?

I'm just too hungry to think properly, maybe that's the exact reason.

Oh well. Forgetting the topic, I guess you do feel like a top-ranking businesswoman on a formal business meeting, or a royal hiding from the paparazzi, or a multibillionaire heiress of some huge company inside this restaurant, even when you're wearing just denim minis. I can say that because everyone here (including that guy and the waiter) just seems too… homey.

So Kinomoto Sakura actually can fit in some place like this.

Ah, this really feels good.

_SO WHAT THE HELL IS LI SYAORAN DOING OUTSIDE THE DOOOOOOR?_

I'm just seeing things. Yes, that's it. My wish that Li Syaoran could just see that guy flirting with me CAN'T just come true. No. Way. I don't even have a birthday cake—and it's not even my birthday!

I'm just seeing some ghastly things. Or I suddenly need eyeglasses. This is just the horrible effect of doing too much slavework for three whole days.

Okay, Sakura. Try to focus more. Your 20/20 vision should be perfectly 20/20 until now, right? Right. So the guy was… wearing a blue, a bit businesslike long-sleeved shirt, which is oddly rolled up to his elbows, just like Li Syaoran would do…

…His navy blue necktie was disarranged against his throat, just like Li Syaoran's…

…His chocolate-colored hair is too messy that he needs a lifetime supply of hair gel, just like…

Nooooooo.

I think I need to start running now—spent too much time gawking at him like a very huge freak—

_Oh no, he saw me!_

I quickly dropped the menu down on the table and hurriedly told the waiter who had come back for my order that I'd be back just in a minute. Oh, I must have looked totally messed-up. Sheesh. So much for supermodel poise and fitting in.

And actually, I think I won't be able to come back in a while, especially if _Li Syaoran_ is already there being led by another waiter towards my table. MY table!

What in the world is he doing here! And what's going on! I thought Tomoyo and Eriol are going to eat with me and they're going to—

Oh no.

Oh, God, _no_.

I am so stupid.

A _set up_.

Athletic abilities in use, I dashed down the hallway and, not finding a good place to go to (or hide into, that is), pushed myself inside the totally classy ladies' room, which is luckily vacant. Fumbling, I locked the door securely behind me.

What are those two doing! So it's like, they planning a lunch for the four of us and then a minute later they'd say, 'Oh, I almost forgot, Eriol and I have something else to do, so we better go', and then flee to the other side of the world?

"I am going to KILL Daidouji Tomoyo and Hiiragizawa Eriol," I muttered under my breath, wiping my unusually damp palms against my skirt.

Okay. Before I'm going to accomplish that mission, I'm not going to panic.

Breathe in… breathe out…

I'm sure there're no cat hairs around, if it's true that fancy restaurants like this don't allow pets inside, so I guess I'd survive without hyperventilating myself to death.

_Breathe in… breathe out…_

This is totally INSANE. Why am I hiding? I should've faced Li Syaoran and told him directly what he needs to hear.

_Iiiin… Oooout…_

Oh, that reminds me, I am so going to KILL Li Syaoran too!

_Iiiiiiin… Oooooout…_

OK. Hush. I'm not panicking. I'm not hyperventilating. I'm going to stay calm. So, first, here's the plan:

1.) Go out of this room smoothly and calmly with chin up, stomach in, and chest out.

2.) Try to be formal and businesslike, so as not to attract more attention.

3.) Walk out like there's nothing special happening and that there's no Li Syaoran sitting on my table.

4.) Call a cab and head directly to apartment.

5.) Go to sleep even though it's just 11:30 noon.

6.) Forget all that has happened.

Great. This will do.

I quickly turned to the mirror and examined my panicking face. Really. That breathing just has to slow down to the normal rate, and that hair that's sticking out in places should be retouched. Just have to make sure I look decent and un-panicking, or I might catch some criticizing eyes.

After a short minute, I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and…

…walked smack right into Li Syaoran's broad chest.

_OhmyGodthisisnthappeningtome._

Repeating prayers for safety and divine protection like a mentally deranged patient inside my head, I sucked in a thoroughly stunned breath and tried to step back with unsteady, shaky feet, just to unwomanly lose balance and be held back in position by both hands of my master.

Oh, swift move.

I think I should develop this new habit of checking my horoscope in the Internet everyday, so that I would know if I shouldn't trust best friends and their boyfriends on a particular day, or else I would end up being humiliated or maybe something even worse…

…like struggling to get my forearms out of Li Syaoran's strong, big hands, which feels just vice-like—or maybe miniature hand-guillotines—on both of my wrists.

So much for that supposed-to-be foolproof plan of escaping that jerk. Oh, why didn't I just think about jumping out from the ladies' room's window? But then again, I won't probably fit, and it's too high on the ceiling, and we're on the fifteenth floor. So I guess with 3 cons and totally zilch pros, I'd normally slash out the idea.

I viciously raked my mind for something sensible to say, like 'What the hell are you doing here?' or something like that, but the pressure's just driving me nuts even more to make me think properly before I leap, so I just went blurting out inanely, "This is the ladies' room."

Damn it, I am definitely going bananas. Why can't I say something that makes sense! I lost my vocabulary. Yes, that's it. Or more like my vocabulary is intentionally not going to cooperate with me, so that I can embarrass myself in front of my master, like I always do.

"Nope, this is the hallway, Sakura. The ladies' room is behind you and the men's room is down the hall." He just smiled like it's a very natural fact and it's the intelligent product of his 1,000,000 IQ. Why can't there be a special time that he's at loss for words?

"I need to get back to my table, so I suggest you vacate it right now."

"So you knew I was here."

Maybe I can't pretend or even lie now. He is just too… _supernatural_. "I just had to go to the restroom, so that means you can't bring yourself to occupy our table."

"So you didn't mean to ignore me."

The color obviously crept up to my cheeks after I realized what I had just meant with what I said. Okay. This really freaks me out now.

"I… I have to go. Tomoyo and Eriol might be waiting for me outside." I struggled to get his big hands off, but they still won't let go; instead, his hands fully went round my wrists—gosh, I was right, how well they fit together—and gently pulled me more towards his body that I could already smell that musky aftershave.

"I'll let you go as soon as you answer my question. It's been four days. Or let's say three and a half. But you still can't afford to at least be friends with me. When are you going to give in?"

What's he saying? Friends? Yeah, right. We can be _friends_ as in "babe" and "sweetheart" and "honey". I'm surely going to give in when hell freezes over.

"When are you going to give up trying?" I retorted with the same tone as his.

He only grinned. "When hell freezes over."

He _would_ have to mimic my thoughts. He just _would_ have to annoy me till I steam up and hit him square at the jaw. "And when are you planning on leaving me alone so I can enjoy lunch with my friends now?"

"Oh, _that_. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet."

I stared at him, wide-eyed, as if a streak of lightning just passed through my brain and made me think very much clearly. "What haven't I figured out yet? Don't tell me t-t-they—y-y-you—"

"If what you're trying to say is that they are just my so trustworthy accomplices and I'm the one behind all of this, then you've hit the jackpot."

I really shouldn't have trusted Tomoyo and Eriol. They're also the ones behind my being a slave after all. And that La Terrazza Dell-Eden eat-all-you-can treat seems too good to be true. Tomoyo's as stingy as a… a very stingy monkey that only cares for its bananas.

God, I should have known Li Syaoran would be the one behind all this.

But there's just no use trying to argue with him more. Even if I fight, I'm sure 99.9 percent that I won't even win. I can't win with his uncanny wit. When I try to explain something, his humor—or probably his professional sarcasm—is pushing the topic aside. Talk about smartness in a different perspective. I just wish I had that special talent to push his humor aside and win over him in a sarcasm competition.

No, Sakura. You shouldn't be giving up now. Not after you've fought for your life and freedom for so long. You've been surviving his authority over you for already four days now! Three more to go!

Even if this sounds truly crazy, oh please, be patriotic for once and stand up to your beliefs, Kinomoto Sakura. Gosh, I bet Tomoyo would be laughing her head off at me if I say that sentence aloud for everyone to hear.

After a few more seconds of silence and mentally practicing my little speech, I heaved a sigh and stood straighter than I was so I was facing him directly, even if I had to really tilt my chin up for our eyes to meet.

"Listen, Li," I began, staring at him, my angry glare and his disgusting sugary gaze held together, and broke the inevitable, "I'm backing out. I—"

I didn't get the chance to continue. I was instantly silenced by a hand gently tilting my chin up and a pair of soft lips gently but firmly closing on mine.

Li Syaoran's.

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**Third Person POV**

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She hates him from the bottom of her heart—at least that's what she believes. But even with all that, Kinomoto Sakura helplessly let her eyelids drop down, slowly, giving in to what her brain is constantly telling her to do—even though it was at first excruciatingly hard.

She felt her knees buckle and admit defeat as well—a second premonition that the end of the world is near. She didn't know if she had to thank that strong hand holding her by the waist, since her legs couldn't have managed to support all of her.

Her hands instinctively crept up towards his chest, getting ready to push him away or anything that could separate his body from hers, when she, all of a sudden, felt all powerless. Not even a single muscle could push itself to resist Li Syaoran.

And instead of fighting back, as what she had originally intended to do, she didn't realize that her hands instead held on to the collar of his shirt and stayed there as Li Syaoran continued to kiss her.

She should have known that this is what it would be like—to be kissing the most sought after bachelor in Asia… or rather, to be kissed by Li Syaoran. Because she couldn't even picture herself kissing him—although it was beginning to be too difficult not to kiss back, especially when being kissed as thoroughly and as expertly as he was kissing her.

Sakura barely managed to hold back a moan, and a soft, muffled purr came from her mouth unmistakably that she feared that Li Syaoran had heard it and would get ideas. _Was that me?_ she thought helplessly at the back of her head, _You CAN'T do that! Do you even know _who_'s making you moan?_

It didn't make sense. At one moment, he had made her want to kill him with a shotgun… and at another, he had made her purr like a kitten.

A voice inside her head told her to stop—that it was all going to be something to regret afterwards… and that no matter how she unbelievably liked the way his lips made her feel sensations she'd never felt before, it was all untrue.

But Syaoran's warm lips now nuzzling at the soft spot between her jaw and her ear made her seriously want to consider stopping to resist and just giving in.

That was the very first time she'd thought about that._ Sakura, you idiot. Why on earth would you want to give in to the stupid and totally arrogant asshole?_

She ought to break that unforgivable body contact and run away as planned, but she slowly realized that it can't be possible at all. With that hand now softly caressing that sensitive spot on the back of her neck and the other possessively but gently moving up and down her back—

…it was inevitably impossible.

So unbelievably ethereal, due to the fact that it was the very first time someone ever made her feel that tantalizingly good.

"No—Li—_stop_—"

"What do you hate so much about me?" His throaty voice reverberated in her ear. It was a question too hard to answer, because of nothing forming inside her head, for one thing, and that just one conclusive voice made it simply difficult, for another. "Sakura… give me just one chance…."

"I can't—"

Instant shivers traveled through her spine as his lips settled behind her earlobe, gently nuzzling exactly the right spot. Did he know all along about how sensitive her ears are?

She felt his body pushing on to hers, locking her body between the wall and his masculine frame. His weight rested on her body, and his lips slowly made their way to her own, jolts of sensations traveling wherever his lips settled.

They were fierce, yet feathery-soft and light against hers—professional, but what can she complain about? It was her first time to be kissed like that, as he had probably guessed already. She mindlessly parted her lips, slowly, and relaxed everything of her…

She was suddenly afire. No matter how her mind contradicted her actions, she was unable to help herself. She wrapped her arms about his neck, and, buried in her own thoughts—she swore it wasn't really her—she kissed him back…

…and with her pulse racing inside her chest, she felt hell freezing over.

She gave in.

For the very first time, she found herself trusting him. She trusted his hands that held the sides of her face and the fingers that threaded through her hair.

She trusted his lips that softly devoured hers, as if they already knew and understood her for such a long time. She trusted the rich, arrogant businessman whom she had just known for merely four days. She trusted the most wanted playboy—the man who claimed her as his slave.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a question came to mind without warning, making her conscious about everything again: _What am I doing?_

The answer came crashing down hard, realization hitting her like lightning: _Oh God, I am kissing my mortal enemy._

She quickly broke off from him, breathing in huge amounts of air as hard as he was, partly because she was nervous of the thought that a lot of people might have seen them, and partly because she was thoroughly out of breath.

And maybe… partly because it was her first _real_ kiss. It was not one of those quick pecks, or those she can't really feel anything deeper but the mere locking of lips.

No thanks to Li Syaoran, she'd lost it to someone whom she loved to hate with all her life.

She was flushed, she could feel the heat on her cheeks, her lips must've looked kiss swollen, and her heart was still hammering inside her chest.

"It doesn't make sense," Sakura tried to say firmly, but all that came out was a soft whisper, barely audible. Her hands unconsciously stayed on his chest.

"What doesn't?" Syaoran's blasé reply startled her.

Does he even have a heart? She was thoroughly taken aback at how nonchalant he was—considering the fact that he had KISSED her.

And what's more, she could've even sworn that she actually felt something… Like he kissed like he meant it.

"You _kissed_ me!" Every word still came out as a faint, angry hiss, and her hand let go of his shirt with a mere soft push. "Why did you do that for!"

"You kissed me back." He faintly laughed at Sakura's guilty flush.

"But… it still… doesn't make any sense," Sakura softly insisted, wanting to shrink back with embarrassment. Yes, she had kissed him back. And she knew that. It was, to her, a pure mystery still, but what she didn't understand most was the _logical_ reason why he kissed her in the first place.

"I suppose it doesn't," Syaoran agreed, every joking or sarcastic sound of his voice gone.

"Don't just theorize. It really doesn't. Now give me an answer."

Now _he_ was startled at how Sakura's voice had sounded very angry. It was just a _kiss_—what more did she want to know?

Did she finally realize that somehow, at one point, he had kissed her _sincerely_, and that he really meant it? Did she finally realize that it was the _very first time_ he had felt such way with a kiss?

No. She doesn't need to know all of those.

"Maybe because…" He raked his mind for anything to say that could sway her attention from every truth he didn't want her to expect things from. "…I wanted to."

Sakura stiffened with surprise and faced him with a glare—a glare that he knew means she wasn't very satisfied at all. "I think I had already made this clear a lot of times. I am not one of those women you can always kiss without a reason, Li Syaoran."

"Wasn't that a reason? I wanted to, and I can."

"See what I mean?" she said firmly when she finally regained all her voice. "I want my freedom. It's _me _who should decide on who should kiss me. Not the other way around. Why won't you just stop making my life miserable and give up?"

He sighed and guiltily ran his hand though his hair. She was serious, and there's nothing to argue about. She was right. He was wrong. How could he win? "I just… Okay. You win. I'm sorry."

"So Li Syaoran actually knows the word 'sorry', huh?" she angrily spat, and he could've sworn he almost cringed.

"Yes. And I'm pretty educated to know what it means. I'm being honest, Sakura."

She remained silent.

"Let's make a deal, Kinomoto Sakura," he then whispered huskily, seizing her eyes again. "Let's start all over again. We're going out for this day, but not as master and slave or boyfriend and girlfriend or anything. Just as us. And if everything at least works out fine, you'll give this a chance and stay, even maybe for just the fun of it. If not, then you're not going to see me again."

Sakura's mouth hung open as his eyes burned on hers. His eyes, as she noticed, were serious. Intriguing, but serious. It was the very first time he said something like that—it was as if the world WILL be ending soon.

She was about to say no, or anything like that, but at that moment, she felt something stop her. Something that was not, in any way, from her. A lingering thought that confuses her so much: What if Li Syaoran really isn't the man she thinks he is?

_One more chance_, she said to herself. _It won't hurt to give him just one more chance._

She looked down to her lap, and up again to face him. "Deal."

Syaoran only grinned, something that really made her feel that everything's going to be just all right.

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**Syaoran's POV**

_12:10 PM_

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"Give me your wallet."

I looked up at her. Okay. Something isn't right. In fact, something is very wrong. This is not exactly the very first thing she made me do, you see.

First, she told me she doesn't want to eat at La Terrazza anymore (I thought Daidouji said she would _die_ for pasta!); then she made me leave my car behind; made me hail a cab; made me pay 720 yen for a very short ride; and literally hauled me in to "take a walk" at this public park, even if I tell her I'm not used to being here.

Now here we are, strolling amidst mothers and fathers running after their children, and kids bawling over balloons that escaped from their hand or ice creams melting down and splattering against their favorite shirt. Very fitting location for a supposed-to-be 'going out for the day' (or maybe half a day), huh?

And what's my slave ordering _me_ to do now, now that she had made me do all those things that were meant to be as _her_ job? (I know there's this condition, but—oh fine, I give up)

Her hand was already waiting outstretched in front of me, palm up. So she's getting me to hand my wallet in. What's next?

"Don't be too jealous. You're not going to find any picture of some woman here, you know."

Her eyes flamed up at me.

"Truly sorry, Ma'am. What are you going to do with it, anyway? You're not going to rob me some money, are you?"

"Do I look like a robber? I'm not that desperate enough to nip out some of _your_ money, mister. I work for my own money, and I'd rather spend my precious time with my children, you know."

I almost stupidly tripped on my own shoe.

"_Children_?"

Okay, so that proves that even if I know her for four days already, I still don't know _everything_ about her.

Sakura laughed, with this index finger jabbing at me like a cute little kid would do, a cute wide grin plastered on her face. "Gosh, you really should take a look at your face!"

Yeah, I know. I look like a silly, confused freak. Or maybe a fucking stupid asshole in a business attire in a park.

"Remind me to look later, okay? So, your children, huh? And that's in the plural form."

"I didn't know you're that stupid. Do I look like a mother to you?"

Of course you don't look like a mother—or a robber—not with that perfect curve and slender thighs and—oh okay, I'll stop.

But that skirt really looks nice.

And FYI, I'm not stupid, Kinomoto Sakura. I _knew_ that. I'm just being sarcastic, okay? Uh. I think. A little. Oh, fine. I wasn't. I was stupid, OK?

"They're my students," she just continued. "They need a school 'mother', so I guess I voluntarily took the job. They're so cute, I don't mind having to be with them everyday! And that makes it entirely _your_ fault I hadn't been able to see them for the rest of this week!" She made this irresistible cute pout and still held her hand in front of me.

I gave up and with a sigh, finally handed my wallet in to her waiting hand. Her foot had already been impatiently tapping against the ground, like an over-eager little girl who would throw a tantrum if you don't give her what she wants, so I guess I wouldn't want her to make a show in here.

Sometimes I really want to believe that she's just a cute nine-year old kid inside that perfectly-shaped 20-year old woman's body. Now I kind of understand why she and the children got along well.

But I really think I shouldn't say that aloud. Who knows what hospital I'll end up being rushed to after? So I just intelligently remarked, "Oh, so you're a kindergarten teacher?"

She smiled with childish joy as she opened the wallet. "Duh. Thing is, I only work part-time, a friend got me in. Who gets an easy job in all-business-y Tokyo? But I love teaching those little kids, so I really think it's worth all my effort," Sakura explained, not even once looking up. She was still examining my wallet inside out, just like a CSI agent would do.

I mean, I won't keep a crucial evidence for a murder case in there, would I? Nor would I keep some picture of someone in there. I'm not in for commitment, if you ask why.

By the way, if you need to know, the feeling of being in "love" is scientifically just a mere chemical reaction that happens in the brain, entirely caused by surges of something called "phenylethylamine", a stimulant the brain craves.

That fact tells us that no one really "loves" anyone. People just get attracted to another because of our natural mating instinct—or to be a bit frank—sexual desire.

But although that attraction can cause us to be in a state of happiness or Utopia, it doesn't last long, unfortunately. Like with all drugs, the body grows a tolerance for phenylethylamine, and eventually, the attraction one once felt for his or her partner fades.

That's purely natural. And one can get the same amount of phenylethylamine by consuming immense amounts of chocolate, as you can by "falling in love".

So if that's the case, who needs forever commitment?

Damn it. Why am I thinking about this now!

I'm going mental with this scientific information overload.

"So… erm… as their part-time 'mother', don't you think they need a 'father', too?" I tried to strike a nerve to lighten the conversation up a bit—and forget what I was thinking about altogether. I can't afford to be lost with these thoughts now.

You are definitely going mental today, Li Syaoran. Unbelievable.

"Not really, especially if _you're_ the one volunteering." She eyed me warily. I pushed the other thoughts at the back of my head and tried to focus. Okay. So it's as if I'm never going to get along with kids. Hey, I get along with _some_ kids well. Like Mei Xin. Uhh… barely.

"Anyway…" she continued, pulling out a couple of bills and handing me back my wallet. "For this whole day, we're going out—with only 1,000 yen. Don't you try sneaking out a couple more, or you really won't see me again. Got it?"

1,000 yen? That's only like, 10 dollars! "Hey, that won't even be enough for decent food!"

"But we're not going to eat at some 'decent restaurant' that you have in mind, moron. McDonald's is decent, and a thousand is going to be enough for the two of us. Unless you eat three times as much as you should be eating, then that's going to be hard."

So she's also pretty professional with her sarcasm skills, huh? But I can't help but sigh. "So you're saying that we can have a 'decent' date at McDonald's? Hotel Seiyo Ginza is more like it. Or maybe L'Osier. Sabatini di Firenze's good, too. I think we should've just stayed at La Terrazza…."

I'm going to McDonald's for a date? The media would go ballistic and that fast food chain would probably be more famous than it is.

"Okay," I finally said, "I know you just can't say no to this. At Shibuya. Global Dining, Legato."

Thinking about all this food makes me even hungrier.

That reminds me, we still haven't eaten lunch!

"I'm not even saying that we are going to have a 'date'," Sakura pointed out with a glare. "It's simply 'waiting for time to pass'. And you're obviously talking about 20,000 yen per head 'for-VIPs-only-and-no-part-time-preschool-teachers-living-in-lousy-apartments' restaurants. Hello? Legato? You're the only one who could actually belong there, not me."

Okay, I admit. I go to those places a lot. Frustrating dates, uninteresting business meetings, some other kinds of boring stuff you probably wouldn't consider going to, blah blah blah. And they do serve lunch for 200 dollars per person.

But actually, I don't really feel that I really 'belong' there. More like… I just got used to those places. Honestly, all the formality is too much, like what you'd see around your table would be the president of some oil company, a top-ranking senator, a famous movie actress… etc, etc. And I wouldn't want to be all tight and too-ceremonial on Sakura, so I guess I'd slash out the idea.

But really good food once in a while won't probably hurt, right?

"Fine, whatever you say," I sighed again, pocketing the wallet. Really, if it's going to be the other way around, like I'm going to be the slave, with her as the master, I will die—in a figurative sense, at least. "So what can we possibly do with just one thousand yen, huh? Buy some ice cream, or what?"

She smiled and pointed at the ice cream cart standing nearby. "Actually… yeah."

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_12:25 PM_

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Two Belgian waffle cones of chocolate plus vanilla plus cookies-and-cream ice cream and two—what are those supposed to be called again?—kind of 'twisted balloons' thing, and I wasted 300 yen already (but okay, at least they were in a reasonable price).

But imagine the thing that really made me almost want to throw up:

We're sitting on a swing.

Eating triple-decker ice cream.

With these funny, bunny-shaped twisted balloons sitting on top of our heads.

What happened to the romantic strolling through the grass with the sunset while holding hands? Or sitting inside the movies, watching a romantic comedy film and enjoying the two-and-a-half-hour lights-out? Or the dinner in a nice, homey restaurant with a nice, romantic terrace overlooking the whole city while you could see the lights?

Okay. I know. It isn't going to be a 'date'. But I did say that 'we are going out for this day', and she agreed, right? So what does that mean to her? Oh, why did I ever accept the 1,000-yen-only condition?

I guess I was expecting too much.

"I always feel good while eating ice cream," Sakura suddenly said, breaking the awkward silence between the two of us.

Damn, she still doesn't want to talk about anything serious! So it's going to be like this for the whole day? I looked at her childlike expression beside me, and sighed. "And while having a stupid balloon on your head."

She giggled and began to push backwards and swing up. "Kinda. Dad always bought me ice cream whenever I throw that kind of tantrum—like the one anyone would be scared of handling." She laughed. "I guess it was really effective. Maybe dads really know how to silence up their kids."

"Okaay, so how do the balloons fit in to the scene?"

Sakura giggled more. "I just think they're cute. Don't you think so?"

I didn't answer.

But honestly, I didn't exactly know what to say.

This is the very first time in my life that I ever felt speechless. I was usually the one who _makes_ others speechless. Now I can't help but stay silent in front of Kinomoto Sakura. It's just too much of her to take in. It was as if—every single piece of her should be taken in slowly… bit by bit… _genuinely_…

It was especially hard to quickly get over on comprehending about her eyes. I don't know, but maybe it's the way that she looks at me. If it's not a cold glare, then it's an angry or pissed-off or grossed-out stare.

I know she probably hates me as much as she hates her being my slave, but I can't help but see how those gentle eyes reveal that she isn't that feisty as she exhibits.

Since we made this deal, her eyes actually looked… heavenly. It was a friendly atmosphere between the two of us, and I felt completely comfortable with her. I felt that I could laugh all I want, snort when I want to, and get lost within our conversations in front of her.

If we had just met as friends, or we've known each other since we've been in OshKosh overalls, maybe she'd look at me differently. Maybe I could really see in them what she thinks or feels about.

Her eyes are just too clear.

But in our case, seeing her eyes and not thoroughly understanding them makes me want to know more about her… her strengths… her weaknesses… faults… achievements… how she goes around daily… her life… _everything_ about Kinomoto Sakura.

What did I do to know her more for the last three days?

Nothing.

I don't know anything about who she really is up to now. But she doesn't know anything much about me either. For the last days, I didn't even consider penetrating her icy cold glares and volcano barriers so as to know her more…

And come to think of it, I didn't try to let her know more about me, too. Maybe I have been intentionally avoiding the subject all the time. Or maybe I'm just not the type of person to engage in storytelling mode and narrate my life story.

That's just not… me. Couldn't anyone understand that?

"Hey, you okay?"

I instantly snapped back to reality, just to find Sakura's hand waving in front of my eyes. I only managed to blink back in return. "Welcome to Earth, Li Syaoran!" she teased and laughed at me yet again.

Damn, Li Syaoran, if you could just FOCUS, REGAIN YOUR VOCABULARY, and SNAP OUT OF IT.

The scolding myself didn't work. All that came out from my mouth was unfortunately an absentminded confession: "I'm running out of things to say."

And what I didn't expect was her guilty, "Actually, me too."

I shot her a short glance and looked at her silently.

Shit. I think I'm the most speechless idiot in the whole universe right now.

Not that there are other idiotic and speechless individuals beyond the exosphere of the Earth, but we can never be sure.

"Hey wait." She stared at me like I'm the most vicious criminal in all of Japan. "Now come to think of it, you've been lost in your own thoughts all the way! Why am I the only one talking here? I don't want to force myself to think of what to say, so _you_ talk, I'll listen."

Things couldn't get any worse. Or can they?

"I don't have anything to talk about."

Sakura pouted.

Does she know that she looks cute doing that?

"Sakura-chan… Honestly, tell me. Are you really just a 9-year old inside a 20-year old woman's body?"

Sakura sarcastically grinned. "Ooh, yeah, Syaoran-chan. I'm nine years old, I love ice cream, and I think animal balloons are cute. And you, aren't you a nine-year old inside a twenty-something man's body?"

I shrugged. "Unlike you, I'm old enough to know I'm hungry and I haven't eaten lunch yet."

She eyed me oddly. "And?"

"And, I'm old enough to know where to go if that's the case."

"Hey, have you forgotten our deal already?"

I laughed. "I know some place where decent food isn't going to cost more than 700 yen."


End file.
